Breaking down barriers
by SurannekeeleyBeauchamp
Summary: Everyone needs someone to pick them up when their world is falling down, but some are more stubborn than others. The path to true love never did run smoothly ...
1. Chapter 1

_"__Unless you are lay on this table you are not my priority"_

Christ she was drunk… she was so drunk that she knew she was drunk but just didn't give a crap. The burning from the whiskey she had swallowed in one sip allowing her mind to concentrate on anything else but the dire situation she was in. The lonely and miserable life she had inflicted on herself. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she thought about it all again. The row, the dark look in Grace's face as she declared she knew what a whore and a bitch her Mother was. Vile at the best of times but so much more heart wrenching and crushing coming from your eight year old daughter. Then came the slap, hard across her babies face, anger surging and for one scary second she thought she was really going to lose it. Let out all her anger and unleash something that she was scared of. She remembered her daughters face crumbling as she screamed and declared she was telling her Father, who unsurprisingly booked a plane ticket insisting on coming over to sort everything out. Connie's life was crashing around her and she realised she had no fight left.

"Same again please" Connie purred to the hunky barman who had spent half the night making eyes at the clinical lead for half the night. He smiled before grabbing the glass and topping it up with another shot of whiskey. He had already served her 4 double vodka cokes, two gin and three shots of whiskey. He was considering telling her that he couldn't serve her anymore, but she seemed to be a force not to be reckoned with.

The young barman placed the glass in front of her once again and watched as she brought the glass up to her lips and tipped it down into her throat. The alcohol seemed to be having no effect on her anymore. She was downing shots like they were cartons of orange juice. She was way too beautiful to be destroying her body with booze.

Connie glanced around her, taking in her surroundings finally. She was disappointed by the lack of good looking men, she was dying to take someone home, it was like if she did that she still had some control. That's what she needed, to be in control. To dominate someone and feel powerful once again when in reality her world was crumbling. She sighed as she hoped up off the bar stool and staggered across the floor towards the door. It was when she stood up she realised just how drunk she was. Her legs felt weak all of a sudden and her head began to spin. She carried herself as fast as she could out of the door and onto the pavement outside where the air was bitterly cold and lit up by several street lamps and the fluorescent lights of bars and clubs that littered the street. Bile began to rise in her throat, sweat beading at her forehead. She moved round the side of the bar and into a side alley that was deserted and placed her hands against the wall to support her weak body as she brought up the contents of her stomach. All around her she could hear people laughing, music booming, people shouting and enjoying the night. Everything was spinning and she found herself struggling to stand.

"Alright there Luv?" A voice called from the start of the alley. Connie glanced round, narrowing her eyes to see a balding man, probably in his fifties leering at her.

"Need some elp', sure I could give you what you need" He smirked as he came closer to the clinical lead. Connie held out one hand to put space between them and began to walk backwards as her eyes tried to concentrate.

"Don't be scared…" He hissed as he came closer, so close that Connie could feel his stale breath on her skin and smell the beer and stale cigarettes that mixed with sweat. Connie was soon backed into a corner with nowhere to move. His hands began to creep around her waist making Connie feel nauseous once again. She shut her eyes and hoped he would either drop dead or realise what he was doing was wrong. She held her breath as he went to slip a hand down her skirt while his other hand ran through her hair. Connie's breath was getting more rapid and she found herself crying out as he forced his body weight against her, trying to place a kiss on her lips. Connie braced herself for the contact… it never came. Instead came the sound of someone being punched and falling to the ground. She slowly opened her eyes and found the man splattered on the floor clutching his jaw, his place in front of her taken by a concerned looking Caleb Knight who was dressed in a jeans and blazer combination, obviously on a night out.

"Let's get you home" He whispered as he wrapped an arm around the consultant's shoulders and guided her out of the alley. His grip on her was firm, like he was holding onto his most prized possession. Connie watched as he held out his free hand, signalling for a taxi to stop.

"Hiya, can you get us home please mate?" He asked as a taxi pulled up in front of them and rolled his windows down. The man in the seat nodded and signalled to the back. Caleb thanked him before opening the car door and helping Connie in before clambering in beside her.

"Where too mate?" The man asked as Caleb did Connie's seatbelt for her and placed his hand in hers.

"Temple heights, the new flats off mapledene Street" Caleb had decided it would be best if he took Connie back to his apartment where he could keep an eye on her and make sure she was safe. She was still in silence, obviously in shock at what had happened.

"Come on, let's get you back to mine and get you too bed, sleep it all off" He said in a gentle manner which Connie rarely associated with the young doctor. A small smile fell to her lips as she nodded her head in agreement at the plan.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ethan was sat in front of the TV, the discovery channel on playing a repeat of Bear Grylls extreme survival. It was his guilty pleasure and with Cal out for the night it meant he was in control of the TV. He slumped down in the sofa and placed his feet on the sofa making himself comfortable. Cal had only been gone for around twenty minutes so the sound of a key in the door made the junior doctor jump. He stood up quickly and grabbed the lampshade from the chest of drawers beside the sofa. He stood just metres from the front door, holding his breath. The door swung open and Ethan went to swing the lamp around the intruders head but stopped when he realised it was Cal.

"What are you doing back? It hasn't even been half an hour?" He asked. Cal silenced his brother when Ethan spotted Cal was holding onto Someone's hand. Suddenly Ethan found himself face to face with his boss.

"Mrs Beauchamp" The young doctor smiled, albeit being utterly confused and out of his comfort zone.

"I'll explain to you later, can you get a glass of water and a bucket and bring it to my room?" Ca asked as he supported Connie's tired and weak body towards his bedroom. Ethan just nodded and did as he was instructed. He could hear Cal's gentle voice as he got Connie dressed and into his bed.

"Here, put these on" He smiled as he handed the consultant a pair of scrub trousers he had robbed from the hospital and the top to go with it. Connie didn't move, still frozen with fear. Cal bent down and slowly took her shoes off her feet, before gently undoing the buttons on her blouse. He was surprised when she made no attempt to stop him. It was the first time that Cal had undressed a woman in his bedroom without intending to sleep with them.

Soon enough Cal had got his boss changed and was helping her into bed.

"I'll go and see were Ethan has got to…"

"Please don't go" She whispered finally as though her voice was breaking. She had grabbed his hand before he could get any further and was now looking at him with fear in her eyes. Cal slowly climbed onto the bed and held out his arm, allowing Connie to snuggle up to him and place her head in his chest.

"I'm not going anywhere" He whispered as he held her close as she shut her eyes and gently began to nod off. Cal could feel his own eyes closing but wanted to stay awake for a bit longer, make sure his senior was ok. Ethan appeared awkwardly in the doorway. He held up the glass of water and the bucket.

"She ok?" He asked nervously as he placed the glass on the bedside table and the bucket on the floor.

"We'll she's sleeping so we'll have to see in the morning" Caleb sighed as he pushed a stray piece of hair from Connie's eyes.

"What happened?"

"Some bloke was getting a bit too close for comfort, had her cornered in an alleyway, trying to touch her. She is completely drunk and shook up, I didn't want her to be alone" Caleb reasoned.

"You did the right thing" Ethan assured him before heading back to the door.

"Night" He called as he shut the door.

"Night" Cal called before placing a kiss in Connie's hair and watching as her chest moved up and down gently, sleep finally providing some relief for her.


	2. Chapter 2

Cal sat up in bed, propped up by the pillows he had placed behind his back. Connie was snuggled into him as one of his arms curled around her shoulders, holding her whilst she slept. Cal realised just how beautiful she really was. He was noticing things he had never noticed before. The freckles that ran down her nose and across her plump cheeks. He noticed how even when she slept she had a pout on her perfectly soft lips. What he found most endearing about the clinical lead was the way she curled her legs up and held her hand under her face as she slept. So innocent and vulnerable, so much so that Cal wondered how she could be the same person that strolled about the ED in her laboutins, shooting down anyone who angered her or interfered with her plan to get Holby ED on the map.

Cal was starting to feel guilty for watching his Boss sleep, it was such a tender thing to witness and he felt something that he was pretty sure he had never experienced before. His heart was pounding and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up… was this what adoration felt like? Every other woman he had been with had been fun, young and with no ties. But they were different from Connie. They just lusted after love and sex, whereas Connie was a ball breaker, hard to get. She had some sort of aura that followed her about, something that made her seem like the most desirable person in the world. Love? Cal scoffed at the idea for a second as he turned his head so that he couldn't see her, but even facing away, she was all that was etched in his mind. He let out a big sigh before looking back down at her. She was starting to stir, her legs moving about in the sheets. Her soft leg brushing against his own, a small groan falling from her irresistible lips. Cal glanced at the clock. Half past six. He supposed it was about time that he got up, but the thought depressed him. She had been drunk and in need last night, so when she woke up that would be it. She would no longer be his, he could see her face now. The look of disgust as she realised what a mess she had been in the night before. He just did not want the moment to end.

"What's the time?" Her voice made him jump slightly, stirring him from his thoughts. She was sitting up now, propping herself up with her elbows and lifting herself up. Her hair was all tousled and hanging in large curls around her face.

"Half six" He replied waiting for the explosion to come. Instead though she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand before running the same hand through her long dark hair.

"God my head is pounding. Don't suppose a coffee and paracetamol is asking too much is it?" She asked as she looked at him.

"I'll see what I can do for you Mrs B" Cal winked as he clambered out of bed and headed towards the kitchen leaving his boss sat in his bed nursing a hangover. He wasn't sure whether to mention what had happened last night when he had found her. Maybe she just wanted to forget it, besides she wasn't the type of woman to stay down for long. Cal busied himself with making Connie a coffee. He didn't need to ask her how she liked it, he was always doing her a coffee run at work. Black, two sugars. He grabbed some paracetamol from the drawer and headed back to his bedroom.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Connie had sat herself up properly by now, her phone in her hand as she scrolled through her emails and messages. She looked up as Cal entered the room again, wearing just his tracksuit bottoms, his hair all tousled. He had obviously had a restless night.

"Anything interesting?" Cal asked as he placed the mug on the bedside table beside Connie and held his palm out with the tablets in.

"Just The normal droll from Guy Self. Thanks" She said before taking the tablets in her hand and downing them before washing it down with her coffee.

"That is perfect" She smiled as she took another few sips.

"Glad to be of service" Cal smiled as he sat back down on the bed beside her. The room went quiet for a minute all too before Cal decided to approach the elephant in the room.

"Last night…do you want to talk abo-"

"I think we should both forget about it. I was drunk and well stupid" She commented as she looked him in the eye.

"Oh..." He murmured.

"I don't suppose you could drop me at mine could you? I need to get showered and dressed, I'm not exactly looking my best" She smiled kindly at her registrar.

"Yeah, course. Let me just throw some clothes on, and we'll go" He said as he got up and searched about for a clean pair of pants to throw under his tracksuit bottoms.

"I'll be back in a minute…" Cal said as he grabbed his things and went to head to the bathroom.

"Oh for god sake, I'm a doctor. I've seen it all before. No need to be coy with me Dr Knight" Connie stated as she picked up the mug and took another sip. Cal, still feeling slightly uncertain about getting changed in front of his Boss, who also happened to be the most beautiful and hot woman he had ever met. Against his better judgement his pulled down his tracksuit bottoms and pants before clambering into the clean pair, earning a smirk from Connie as she sipped on her coffee.

"Don't suppose you can see my keys anywhere can you?" Cal asked as he pulled on his t-shirt. Connie had to practically drag her eyes from his body as she glanced about the room.

"Doesn't matter, got them. You ready?" He asked as he did his jacket up and slid his feet into a pair of shoes.

"I'd say so" She quipped as she climbed out of the bed in Cal's scrubs. She took one last glance around the room, checking nothing had been left behind. After finding she had everything, Connie followed Cal into the hallway where a sleepy looking Ethan Hardy was strolling about in his dressing gown.

"See you at work Doctor Hardy" She smiled, making Ethan feel slightly uncomfortable as she left the flat. Never in his life did he ever imagine his boss seeing him in his fluffy blue dressing gown, that was slightly too small for him. Definitely not a career highlight.


	3. Chapter 3

After A pit stop at Connie's house, were Cal was instructed to stay in the car, the two doctors arrived at the ED in time for their shift to start. Cal admired Connie's rear as she clambered from the car, muttering a quick thank you before disappearing over towards the ED. She was dressed in a grey pencil skirt with a black blouse and boy did she look hot.

Cal pulled himself from his car and followed in his Boss' footsteps to the ED where he found his brother was already working away along with the likes of Robyn and Lofty. Cal's eyes followed Connie as she made her way to her office, only stopping to grab some paperwork off Tess before she entered her office and fell out of sight.

"You are… ten minutes late" Ethan smiled as he glanced down at his watch.

"And" Cal asked confused.

"So was she… be careful. People are going to start talking" Ethan warned, fully aware of how the nurses caught on to gossip like it was influenza. No one had secrets in the ED and soon enough people were going to find out who shared Cal's bed the night before.

"There is nothing to find out" Cal replied quickly as he moved around to the locker room so he could get changed into his scrubs.

"We know that, but they have brilliant imaginations!" Ethan reasoned.

"Don't worry. As far as Connie is concerned, nothing happened. She said as much anyway. Right I'm going to go and see if I'm needed anywhere" He smiled as he locked up his locker and headed out of the staff room.

"Doctor Knight" A voice called. Cal recognised it immediately. He looked behind him and found the clinical lead with her iPhone glued to her ear. She made a signal for him to walk with her. Ethan raised his eyebrows as he watched his older Brother toddle off after the boss, who was quite clearly engrossed in a conversation with someone on the phone. Cal trailed along behind her as she disappeared out of the department and into the car park.

"So… What's he done now?" Robyn asked sparkly eyed as she slid up beside Ethan who was standing in the middle of the department, not really sure what to make of his brothers fondness for the clinical lead.

"What hasn't he done" He sighed.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

She had finally put the phone down, after ten minutes of constant chatter. She had lead him out of the department and across the car park where a taxi was parked up near the benches that the team seemed to spend half their lives sitting on, smoking, eating and even drinking. Cal watched as Connie pulled a ten pound note from her pocket and leant through the window of the taxi to give it to the driver.

"Keep the change" She murmured before moving round to the back of the taxi. Her face broke into a smile as she pulled open the door and held her arm out.

"Dad" She called as she helped the elderly gentleman in the back out.

"Connie Connie Connie, my beautiful baby girl" The man sung merrily as he struggled out of the back. He had his daughter's eyes, and it was clear where her complexion came from him.

"Urm, Mrs Beauchamp?" Cal asked nervously as Connie's Father straightened himself up and linked his arm through his daughters who stood just under a foot higher than her Father whose spine was curving and relied on a walking stick. Connie glanced at Cal crossly for a second before softening.

"Dad, this is Doctor Knight and he is going to look after you today, aren't you doctor Knight?" Connie hissed the words directed at Cal through her teeth whilst managing to keep a smiling face for her Father's sake.

"Urm yeah" The young doctor replied wondering what on earth was going on.

"Dr Knight, this is William Chase, 82, and he has a wheeze on his chest, further complicated by a heart transplant he had 4 years ago… Assess him and put a plan in place. I need to phone the home. I cannot believe they sent a man with dementia in a taxi on his own" Connie huffed as she pulled her phone from her pocket once again as they got William inside the ED.

"I'll be ten minutes ok?" Connie asked unsure as whether to leave the doctor with her Father. Cal nodded and smiled at William.

"I think we'll be fine won't we Mr Chase" Cal asked.

"Don't worry about me Constance, I'm on my best behaviour" Connie's father winked at his daughter who just rolled her eyes and disappeared towards her office.

"This way then Mr Chase" Cal beckoned the man towards a free cubicle.

"It's William, don't bother with the formalities, it's more my Daughters thing. Bit of a bossy boots" William laughed.

"I can agree with you there!" Cal replied as he helped his Boss' father onto the bed.

"I hope she doesn't cause too much hassle for you son, I know what she can get like, hot headed like her Mother you see. Stubborn as an Ox, always has been" William revealed, leaving Cal laughing slightly. He was sure that if Connie found out about her Father talking about her, all hell would break loose.

"Don't you worry Mr Chase, Connie and I have an understanding"

**Thank you for reading and reviewing! This is probably one of my favourite fics to write so far! I really enjoy the chemistry between Connie and Cal, and how he just trails about making eyes at her. **

**Hope you are enjoying! Please keep reviewing, it makes my day! – SKB x**


	4. Chapter 4

"…. My point is what kind of care home allows a man with dementia and chronic heart problems to get in a taxi alone, with no one to escort him?" Connie bellowed down the phone as she sat at her desk, slouching slightly. She was really starting to doubt the care her Father was receiving at his rather expensive and private care home.

"I don't care how understaffed you are, the amount you charge per week could easily cover two consultants in a hospital so I'm sure it would cover at least 6 more carers. Get it sorted or I will be reporting you all" With her last statement Connie slammed the phone down onto the receiver, muttering under her breath about how incompetent people were. She took a deep breath as she got her composure back. She was about to get up from her chair when the phone rang again. She groaned as she picked it up.

"Connie Beauchamp…. Guy" Connie's face dropped. Any phone call from Guy self usually meant some sort of cut to the ED funds or a complaint. A knock on the door came just as Guy was explaining himself.

"One second Guy" Connie barked as she put the phone to her chest and signalled for whoever it was to enter her office. After a few seconds a nervous looking Lofty appeared.

"Lofty what is it? I'm in the middle of a phone call with…" Connie stopped when she noticed her daughter holding on to the clumsy nurse's hand. Connie moved the phone back to her ear.

"Guy I'll call you back later" She said simply before slamming the phone down on the receiver.

"Grace?" She called, a small smile falling to her lips. Grace smiled shyly at her Mother, after Connie shouted at her a few days before, she was sure that Grace would have wanted to stay with her Father for a few days longer at his apartment he rented when he came back over to England.

"What are you doing here?" Connie asked surprised.

"I'm sorry" Grace squeaked.

"No, I'm sorry baby" Connie got up from her chair and felt relief flow through her when her daughter ran straight over and jumped into her arms.

"Daddy said I was horrible to you, and that I had to say sorry cuz' you would be upset" Grace said sadly as she wrapped her arms around her Mother's neck.

"Daddy is right, where is Daddy?" Connie asked as she looked from Grace to Lofty.

"He's waiting in reception, he thought it would be best if he didn't come in" Lofty smiled.

"Thank you Lofty" Connie smiled as she dismissed the nurse.

"Mummy can I come home now? I promise I'll be good" Grace begged her Mother.

"I would love you too darling, but Daddy has come all this way to see you, wouldn't you like to spend some more time with him?" Connie thought. It was only fair. Connie saw her daughter begin to think, an unsure look on her little face.

"Ok, how about you, me and Daddy go and have a little chat, yeah?" Connie asked her daughter. Grace nodded in agreement.

"Come on then" Connie placed Grace on the floor and took her small hand before guiding her daughter through the ED to where Sam sat in the waiting room, a newspaper in one hand and a coffee in the other.

"Sam" Connie smiled. Sam looked up abruptly, noting it was his Daughter's Mother. He was quick to dispose of the newspaper and stand up.

"Connie, Hi. Urm, are you ok?" He asked nervously. It wasn't that he was scared of her, but she just happened to do something to him every time he saw her.

"Fine thanks, I was wondering if we could have a chat?" Connie asked as Grace danced about her feet, pulling faces at the nursing staff.

"Yeah, course" Sam answered. Before they could move though, Connie heard her name being called from across the ED. She spun around rapidly to find Cal signalling for her.

"Sorry, I need to take this, Noel?" Connie called. The receptionists head shot up" Can you show Mr Strachan and Grace to my office please?" She asked.

"Yeah course" He smiled as he got up from his chair and slipped round the desk.

"Help yourself to the coffee machine, there should be some paper and crayons on the desk for Grace" Connie said hurriedly before bending down and placing a kiss on her Daughters forehead and sprinting off in the direction of resus where Cal was holding open the door.

"It's pneumonia, and he's deteriorating quicker than I anticipated. We have put him on IV antibiotics but it just seems to be having absolutely no effect on him whatsoever. His breathing is becoming more strained, so we've put him on a 100 percent of o2 because his breathing has become so poor" Cal informed his boss, whose face had dropped dramatically.

"Ok, thanks for letting me know" She said gently as she moved to her Father's side, placing her hand in his.

"Dad? "She called out gently, tears brimming in her eyes. This was what was going to kill him, she knew it. He had already had a heart transplant, so an infection as bad as pneumonia was most likely to kill him no matter what they did.

Connie's father made no attempt to answer his daughter, instead his grip on her hand tightened as his breathing slowed even more, like he had waited for her to return, waited for everything with her daughter to be patched up before he could leave her.

"It's ok, you can stop now. I know how much it hurts, it's time to go and be with Mummy" She whispered as sobs fell from her mouth. One more squeeze was felt before the grip was loosened completely and breathing stopped altogether. An hour was all it took from being admitted, Connie cursed the care home staff for not sending him in sooner.

"Night Daddy. I love you" She whispered before she placed a kiss on his forehead.


	5. Chapter 5

"You did well" Connie said as she passed Cal as she slipped out of resus, her heart heavy and her eyes still brimming with tears. Every time she wiped them away, more appeared. She tried to compose herself for her Daughter's sake. She was now going to have to explain to her that Granddad had gone to heaven.

"Connie, wait" Cal called as he rushed after her, concern etched on his face. After the last few days he was unsure about how she would cope. Would she cope or would she turn to alcohol like she appeared to have done the night before. She was way too precious and important to waste her life.

"What is it Doctor Knight" She said simply, no attempt to correct him on the use of her first name, no fight left in her. She looked pale and tired again.

"You sure you're ok?" He asked gently as he placed a hand on her shoulder, his eyes looking at her full of concern and pity. The one thing Connie hated, pity.

"I am absolutely fine, now leave me alone" She hissed rudely before storming off too her office her eyes full of anger and hatred. She needed a drink, in fact she needed several. The consultant completely bypassed her office knowing full well her debit card was in the glove compartment of her car which was parked in the car park still.

"Mrs Beauchamp" Called one last time as he watched her body slink out of the ED in a determined way, which unnerved him slightly.

"Doctor Knight?" Robyn called before he could go after her. Cal looked on longingly, desperate to go after her, but he knew he was needed in resus.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Double vodka and coke please" She snapped as she threw herself onto a bar stool, throwing her card at the barman, who recognised her instantly.

"Your back" He smiled brightly as he reached for the bottle of vodka.

"Sorry have we met?" Connie asked confused.

"You were here last night, I served you, remember?" He asked as he topped up the vodka with Coke. Connie looked at him for a second before his face registered in her mind.

"Yeah I remember" She said with little enthusiasm in her voice. He looked at her with concern in his eyes.

"Rough few days?" He asked. Connie looked at him raising an eyebrow.

"Sorry I thought this was a bar?"

"It is..." The barman answered confused.

"So why are you talking like a therapist?" She asked as she downed the drink quickly and slammed the glass back on the bar.

"Same again if it's not too much to ask" She hissed. This time the barman didn't reply, instead he just spun round and did what was asked. She was clearly in denial about her problems, either that or just plain rude. He couldn't decide. Instead he placed the drink in front of her and disappeared down the bar to where another customer had arrived.

"What can I get you sir?" He asked.

"Best make it a water" The man replied, his accent quite clearly American. The barman smiled.

"At least someone is sensible" He said before nodding his head towards the brunette at the other end of the bar. He handed the water over and took the change off the American, watching as he moved over to the brunette who had already downed the second double vodka.

"Here you go" The American stated as he put the water in front of her. Connie sat up slightly about to ask what on earth gave him the right to interfere in her life.

"Michael… what do you want?" She sighed as he sat beside her, his hair in a quiff and his eyes painted with concern.

"Just thought I'd come and join you. What we celebrating then?" He asked as she closed her eyes for a second.

"What makes you think I am celebrating?" She asked without opening her eyes.

"I usually drink a lot when I'm celebrating, so I just assumed…" he started. Connie snorted before she turned to look at him again.

"Celebrating? What have I got to celebrate? My Dad is dead and I know Sam thinks I'm an incompetent mother" She sighed.

"Is this same Sam that is currently sat in your office with little Beauchamp? The little Beauchamp who is wondering where her Mommy has got to?" Michael asked.

"She doesn't need me"

"Are you for real? That kid needs you more than anything. Her Daddy spends most of the year in a foreign country playing happy families with his latest lady and her grandparents are dead, who else has she got? God Connie I never realised who stupid you were" He shook his head. Connie felt herself sober up slightly at Michael's harsh words.

"Now drink this and get back over there" He said indicating to the water. Connie took a deep breath before smiling gently at Michael.

"Thank you" It came out as a whisper but he heard it.

"Anything for you Mrs B, you know how I feel about you. I care, and I'm always here if you need someone to care" He smiled as he watched her lift the water to her lips and sip on it.

"You ready?" He asked. Connie nodded as she stood up. To her surprise Michael also stood up and linked his arm through hers, like her Father done hours before.

"Just wanna make sure you get back safely" He winked as they began to walk.

"Anything to spend more time with me" She laughed.

"You clocked it" He smiled. He liked it when she smiled, she seemed more beautiful, care free, younger even.

"Michael can you do me a favour?" She asked suddenly as they edged closer to the ED.

"Yeah anything"

"Keep me company later? Come to mine, I'll cook? I don't want to be alone you see…" She started.

"I'll meet you here at end of play yeah? And you don't have to cook, I'm sure my locum wage will stretch to a takeaway" He winked at her.

"Thank you" She said before turning on her heel and heading back inside.


	6. Chapter 6

Michael watched as her perfectly manicured hands gripped tightly of the steering wheel as she stopped at a junction and looked from left to right several times, her hair bouncing about her face and her lips pursed. The concentration in her eyes was something he had seen many a times, mainly in a theatre where she stole the show every time with not just her skill, but her sarcastic and bold comments. She really was something when she was in that small space surrounded by nurses and other theatre staff. She was the star and he missed the hours of standing around the table, the pair of them throwing insults at each other, something the rest of the staff had never understood, but it was fun, flirting, not hateful.

"You've managed to keep your mouth shut for more than two minutes. What's wrong Michael? Connie asked as she turned onto the road from the junction. Michael caught her glance in her rear-view mirror before her left hand quickly wiped away the smudge of her lipstick. Typical. Even when she was in charge of a vehicle she cared more about her appearance.

"Nothing, just thinking" He replied as he looked ahead with a content smile on his face. Connie scoffed as she rounded a bend at record speed.

"You, actually thinking? I thought you just strode into every situation without so much as a brain cell being used" She said in her usual sarcastic tone, the one that Michael was so accustomed too.

"Very Good Mrs B!" He chuckled before looking at her dead seriously. Connie spared a quick glance from the road to look at her passenger who was looking at her intently.

"What?" She barked not liking the strangeness of her colleague's behaviour.

"I was just thinking… about you" He said smiling as he cocked his head to the side and rested it against the head rest. Connie raised her eyebrow as she carried on staring straight ahead, wondering what on earth was coming next.

"Carry on…" Connie prompted him.

"How beautiful you are… How amazing you are"

"Where is this going Michael?" Connie snapped briskly as she placed on her right indicator and stopped in a trail of traffic. She turned her head and finally focused on him properly. He sat up and turned to face her properly.

"I'm just saying that I think your amazing, and whatever is going on, I know for a fact you will sort it out" He said honestly. Connie nodded slightly before turning back to face the road, sinking in her seat slightly as her hand fell to the gear stick, ready for action.

"By sort it out you mean Grace?" She asked as she ran a hand through her hair.

"Well did you sort it out with Little Beauchamp?" He asked inquisitively.

"I did actually as a matter of fact. She's staying with Sam for a few more days, spend some time with him. Then she's coming home and I'll find her a school around Holby so she can live at home" Connie revealed as she put the car into gear and put her foot down allowing her car, her pride and joy, to start and hurry off.

"That's awesome. Glad it's worked out for you" He smiled.

"One problem dealt with, another to battle on with" She mumbled as she sped down a country road like a pro. Clearly she was very familiar with the route or he would have hoped she would have slowed down to at least twenty miles per hour.

"Your Dad?" He asked knowingly. Connie nodded her head "It will be hard, but if anyone can get through it, it's you Beauchamp" Connie smiled at the use of her last name as a first name. He really did know how to make her smile, even though at times she had fantasised about killing the man.

"See, I'm even making you laugh now!" He boasted proudly. Connie finally slowed the car down as she pulled up onto her gravelled drive, lights illuminating all the windows that sat in darkness at the front of her house.

"Momentary slip up I'm afraid, you're not that good" She smirked before pulling her keys from the ignition, undoing her belt and opening the car door. Michael matched her actions and pulled himself from the car, watching over the top as she fumbled about with her handbag, car keys in her mouth as she tried to find her house keys.

"Yeah we'll see who's laughing later" He whispered as she finally pulled her keys from the bag triumphantly and made towards the front door.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So how is the Ed treating you?" Michael asked as he sat beside Connie on her large grey sofa, their takeaway set between them. Connie raised her eyebrows as she swallowed the last of her yuk sung.

"Oh you know, understaffed, under-funded and staff who seem to spend half of their shifts standing about, gossiping" She moaned as she wiped her mouth with a piece of tissue.

"Same old then... Bet it has its perks though" He grinned cheekily.

"Oh yes, and what do you assume they are?" She asked waiting for his ridiculous reply.

"You have plenty new play mates, I mean that Doctor Knight seems pretty keen…" Michael insinuated.

"Is that all you want to know, who or who I haven't slept with?" Connie asked as she sat up straight and gave Michael her best death stare.

"Don't be stupid Connie, of course I didn't mean it like that. You know how I feel about you…" He said before his mouth could stop him. He grimaced as his own choice of words, cringing as he watched an amused look wash over her face.

"How you feel about me? And how do you feel about me Michael?" Connie asked, her tone changing, becoming flirtatious and almost seductive. Michael felt the hairs on his neck stand on ends as she spoke his name. He was rendered speechless for a moment or two till his brain kicked back into action.

"This is what I feel" He whispered before moving in and pressing his lips against hers and placing his hand in her dark hair. He felt like he had waited an eternity for this moment, to feel her against him. He slowly lay her down on the sofa, knocking the food the floor.

"I can certainly feel what you feel" Connie mumbled as her eyes fell at his groin. Michael blushed slightly as he realised what she was talking about.

"What do you expect? You taste as beautiful as you look" He said breathlessly before their lips made contact once again.

**Thank you to everyone who reads this and those who review also, I really don't think you realise what it means to me! I write these fics often as a way of escaping things when I am stressed or angry, and it is a form of therapy for me! So thank you to the writers and creators of Casualty for making characters so believable that they can be brought to life in fiction form. **

**More coming soon, **

**SKB x**


	7. Chapter 7

Two nights in a row she had woken up next to a male colleague and she was beginning to wonder what on earth was going on with her. Where had her self-control gone? Where had the boundaries between clinical lead and friend gone? Granted the night at Cal's was literally just to sleep, Michael however had a completely different agenda. The pair had spent half of the night rolling about in the bed sheets, giggles and screams falling from both their mouths. They had got caught up in the moment.

Now though she sat in bed, the sheet covering her naked body and watched as Michael slowly awoke, his eyes gently opening and trying to adjust to the light that the morning had brought. He froze for a second as he tried desperately to get his bearings. Obviously waking up in unfamiliar beds was something all too familiar to him also. Connie expected nothing less from her male counterpart. He was the male version of herself.

Connie pondered on the idea, they were all so similar from their competitive streak to their love of sex and dominance. She had never thought of it in such a way. Their work and social lives fitted together like puzzle pieces.

"Christ Beauchamp, I don't know if I can physically walk after that performance last night. I mean I always assumed you would be good but that was…" He paused for a second trying desperately to find a word to describe her amazing talents in the bedroom.

"Mind-blowing?" She smirked proudly as he propped himself up with his elbows.

"And the rest. Dear lord I don't think I will ever forget that… in fact I don't think I will ever be able to be with another woman…" He laughed as he rested his head against the head rest, a content smile on his lips.

"Sure, of course I believe that" Connie mumbled sarcastically as she emerged from the sheets and pulled herself up from the bed. She could feel Michael's eyes boring into her bare back as she fumbled about the bedroom picking up stray items of clothing.

"You better believe it! You are the ultimate woman, even if you are slightly power crazed" Michaels last statement brought a roll of the eyes from Connie as she opened up her wardrobe and began to pull out items of clothing to put on ready for work. As she moved through the items of clothing her hand brushed against the goody that she had borrowed from Cal the day before. Her heart became heavy as she remembered just how gentle and kind he had been. No pressure had been put on her by him, in fact he had been the perfect gentleman.

"Earth to Beauchamp?" Michael called as he too clambered from his bed. Connie snapped from her trance and fixed him with a deathly stare.

"Just get changed Michael. I haven't got time for your flattery and flirtations this morning" She barked before grabbing her clothes and heading to the en-suite. Michael looked at her for a few seconds trying to register what he had done to change the mood.

"Make sure you are ready by the time I come back" She said simply before banging the door shut leaving Michael with a raised eyebrow and a baffled brain.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Cal entered the ED and headed straight to the stockroom to grab his morning Coffee. He smiled as he remembered Connie's request the morning before, her black coffee and paracetamol. He had missed her warmth when he woke up that morning, her sleepy but confident voice. He smiled as he remembered her smell. God she really was something special.

Cal made it to the stockroom unseen, in his own little world. He took his bag off his shoulder and moved across the empty room to his locker where he found his jacket had been hung up at the front. He smiled as he picked it up, it smelt like her perfume. Beautiful and sweet.

"Morning" He heard Robyn call from behind as she placed several mugs into the sink ready to be washed by whoever caved in first. Cal smiled back at her, mumbling a quick hello before opening up his locker. An envelope with his name on had been posted through the top. He picked it immediately recognising the handwriting as Connie's. He held it for a second, waiting for Robyn to leave the room.

His wish was granted several seconds later as the bubbly young nurse fled from the room at the sound of Charlie calling her name. Cal took a deep breath before he tore open the envelope and peered down at the few lines of scribble.

'_Dr Knight,_

_I believe the goody belongs to you. _

_Thank you for being a true gent the other night. It was much appreciated. _

_Connie x' _

The kiss at the end had been hard to decipher as the letter had obviously been written in a rush. He smiled as he folded the letter and placed it into his pocket for safe keeping.


	8. Chapter 8

Connie sat at her desk typing an email to Guy self when she heard her office door open quickly. Before she had time to reprimand the culprit she found herself leaping up from her desk and pushing past said person who happened to be a worried looking Robyn.

"Mrs Beauchamp… you are needed in resus" She tried to call, but Connie was already pushing past her and following the noise which had distracted her. She followed it to resus where she found Martin Ashford shouting at a patient.

"Doctor Ashford" She warned as she stepped into the room. Ash rolled his eyes at the sound of her voice and turned round sharply, making eye contact with the clinical lead whose face showed she was less than impressed by the commotion.

"Here she is, Holby's answer to cruella Deville" He sneered causing a ripple of laughter from a few of the nurses. Connie flashed them all a warning look, making them quieten down sharply.

"Doctor Ashford, my office. Now" She shouted louder as she indicated towards the doors. Ash shook his head laughing before grabbing a bag of cross matched blood and launching it across the room to Connie. It smacked her against the chest and immediately burst on impact. Resus erupted into gasps of shock and giggles as she stood in the centre of the room, Blood running down her face, chest and body. Her clothes ruined and her hair all matted.

She looked around. Everyone was just staring, not bothering to help. She gulped back her tears as she looked at Ash who was just grinning at her. It took all her strength not to just cry there and then, but she composed herself before darting from the room and straight to the one place she knew she would be able to breathe and get a few moments to herself.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A breeze washed over her causing her to shiver as she drew her knees up close to her body to try and gain some warmth. Her head was resting against the brick wall behind her, the only thing stopping her from completely collapsing. Her body was freezing, not surprising considering she had no coat on in the middle of November. She looked down at her cream blouse, the blouse that was now stuck to her slender body with blood. She muffled a cry in her hand as she remembered Ash's words, the words directed at her, laced with hatred before the bag of cross matched blood came hurtling towards her, splattering against her chest. Everyone had stood there, watching, laughing as she stood covered head to toe in blood, tears streaming from her eyes. She hadn't bothered sticking around. Instead she did what only Connie knew how to do. She fled from the onlookers straight to her office where she found her emergency supply of whisky and clasped it in her hand, only one place in mind.

7 flights of stairs and she had found herself on the roof, where she was sat now. Her hands shook as she brought the whiskey bottle to her lips and took a large gulp of the dark liquid. The whisky burnt her throat but brought her some vital warmth. The roof probably wasn't the best place for her to stumble to, especially with a whisky bottle in one hand cigarettes and a lighter and an unstable mentality.

The consultant's hand trembled as she fiddled with the lighter, placing a cigarette in her mouth and finally lighting the death stick. A large drag on it and she felt her body instantly relax. Smoking, a filthy habit but one that balanced with alcohol was very beneficial on such days. The bad days. She watched as the smoke danced about in the air masking the fresh. She felt the bad feelings disappear with the smoke and her body finally relax.

From where she sat she could see her old stomping ground, her precious Darwin. How she missed that ward. She had held a hell of a lot of respect there and was the queen that everyone knew about. In the ED she felt as though she was just drifting through the days, unsure of what she actually achieved from one day to the next.

She lifted the whisky to her lips again and allowed her body to react to the alcohol. Every sip was numbing her brain more and more. A few more swigs and she would be well on her way to indestructible mode once again. She smiled an evil smile as she considered every avenue possible to create a perfect punishment for Doctor Ashford. Her eyes gleaming as her ideas bubbled. Sacking him would be all too easy, getting him out of the situation. No she wanted him to be forced to look at her every day and know what he did to her and that she had something that could be easily held against him.

She laughed evilly as she took another swig if whisky and a second puff in her cigarette. She slumped against the wall even more and carried on with her laughter. In her own little world where she was in control.

She was brought from her thoughts by the sound of the doors that lead back into the hospital being opened and footsteps falling against the roof. A loud yawn was heard before an exhausted looking Michael Spence came into view. He was dressed in his red scrubs and held is hat in his hand as he stretched out his arms before running his left hand through his greying hair.

"Long shift?" She laughed startling her colleague. Michael's head shot round, his eyes narrowing as he tried to work out who had spooked him.

"Beauchamp?" He asked unsure as he moved closer to where she sat. His eyes widened when he realised that it was in fact her and that she was covered in blood clutching onto what appeared to be whisky and a cigarette.

"What's happened!?" He asked as he bent down beside her, taking in the horrendous sight.

"It's a new look. What do you think?" She asked brightly. Michael frowned as he realised the whisky bottle was running on the empty side.

"Are you drunk? Again?" Michael hissed before tipping her head back and looking at her eyes.

"What are you doing Michael?" She asked. She felt him grab her arm and pull her up roughly from the floor.

"Come on, I'm taking you home before anyone see's you" She stated simply with little sympathy in his voice. He pulled her by her arm back to the doors where he had appeared from moments before.


	9. Chapter 9

Cal had seen some terrible things, haunting things even. Young girls dying from overdoses, misunderstood males who turn to drastic ways to be understood. He had seen plenty of broken people, yet this image, the image that he had paused on his phone was sickening. He felt bile rise in his throat as his hands shook with the phone firmly in his grasp. He had been sent plenty of videos in his time, ones that have made him howl till he has been closed to wetting himself. This was off the scale, and not in a good way. The fear and loss of sparkle in her eyes that was the most damaging. He heard someone creep into the staffroom behind him and turned around to find Max rummaging round under the sink.

"What do you think you are doing?" Cal asked barely audible. Max looked up flashing him one of his famous cheeky grins. He held up a new mop end and looked to Cal.

"New mop head, clean up the crime scene" He smirked as he lifted his body from the kneeling position he had previously been in. Cal gritted his teeth for a second, trying to play out in his head what would be appropriate to say.

"I mean what do you think you're doing filming this?" Cal asked as he pulled his phone from his scrubs pocket and held up the frozen video that showed Connie standing helplessly in the middle of resus covered head to toe in blood with tears and mascara running down her face.

"Spur of the moment. Bit of a pick me up when I have a bad day" Max smiled as he glanced at the image. Cal narrowed his eyes before he ran a hand over his face, exasperated. Some people were so thick.

"You are sick, the lot of you" Cal hissed as Robyn and lofty entered the room. The two nurses just stared at Cal wondering what on earth was going on to make the young doctor so incredibly wound up.

"What was that about?" Robyn asked as Cal stormed from the room to try and find the clinical lead. Max stared at the space Cal had left still unsure himself.

"I have no idea" He stated simply before tucking the mop head underneath his arm and walking off towards resus whistling.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Oh Connie, Jesus" Michael sighed as he stepped back from Connie as she suddenly began to heave, the contents of her stomach slowly making its way up her body before erupting from her mouth and splattering to the floor. Connie groaned as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and slumped back against the back of the lift. The movement downwards was making her feel more and more queasy.

Her only saving Grace was the sound of the lift stopping and the opening of the doors. Connie moved to get out but Michael caught her by the back of her blouse and pulled her back.

"Not our stop" He said coolly as he caught sight of a blond nurse coming towards the lift pushing a wheelchair. He flashed the nurse a pearly white smile as she came closer, her eyes narrowed as she peered at the two. Michael moved to introduce himself but soon realised it wasn't him she was concentrating on.

"Connie?" She asked gently as the lift doors shut leaving the three inside as it moved gently downwards. The clinical lead looked at her nurse for a second before clutching her head and muttering under her breath about a headache.

"Why don't you take a little seat in the wheelchair because I can see you are a bit unstable? That ok?" Rita asked gently as she wrapped an arm around Connie and gave Michael a suspicious look. Connie allowed herself to be looked after and to be placed into the wheelchair. She felt Rita squeeze her shoulder as she moved around behind her.

"Ok, two things. One, who the hell are you and two what the hell has happened?" Rita hissed as quietly as possible. Michael held up his hands in his defence.

"Whoa, blondie. Chill. I was trying to get her down to you guys. I'm Michael, Michael Spence. Me and Beauchamp go way back, and as for the state of her ask your buddies in the ED" Rita face shifted as she stared at the cocky American in disbelief. How could anyone be more obnoxious or arrogant?

"Ok never ever call me blondie because believe me it is not appreciated" Rita growled as the lift carried on its journey. The room fell into silence for several seconds before Michael's pager burst into life. The doctor picked it from his pocket and looked at it groaning.

"Listen, I got to take this. Do me a favour and get her home?" He asked as he pulled a twenty pound note from his wallet and placed it in Rita's pocket.

"What about work…" Rita asked as the lift stopped and she realised it was time for her and Connie to get out.

"I'll have a chat with Guy Self, you'll be fine. Promise you Blondie" He grinned as the lift doors shut again leaving an angry Rita staring at the doors. Never in her life would she spend a single second with that man. She sighed before bending down in front of Connie and smiling.

"Connie, I need you to tell me where you live so I can get you home" Rita tried to coax as she put her hand over Connie's. Rita heard her mumble several words and sighed. She was getting nothing out of her.

"Ok, looks like a sleepover at mine" She said brightly before standing up and taking the wheelchair handles in her grip and manoeuvring it through the department and outside where a taxi was sitting empty apart from the driver.

"Hiya, don't suppose you can drop us off at 24 Kings street?" The taxi driver nodded but didn't bother to move from his seat, instead watching as the young nurse struggled to help Connie into the car. Finally they were both inside and the taxi set off. Connie was lying with her head in Rita's lap, relaxing under the touch of the nurses fingers as she gently traced circles on her forehead. Rita heard the clinical lead murmur a thank you before her eyes shut and she was fast asleep.

**Thank you for all your wonderful reviews! I am really enjoying writing this fic, and exploring the different relationships Connie has and creating new relationships. **

**I haven't decided how I will end this, but there is plenty more coming up! Enjoy SKB x**


	10. Chapter 10

Rita sat nibbling on the skin around her nail, consciously watching the rise and fall of Connie's chest as she lay curled up underneath the large duvet which swamped the double bad. The blonde nurse sat in a chair just beside the bed, her legs curled underneath as her left hand held onto a coffee which had been half drunk and had gone cold hours before. Rita hadn't moved from her position in the chair for a good two hours and her legs were becoming numb and pins and needles had crept up her feet. She had noticed the familiar feeling an hour before but had made no effort to move as her eyes just drunk in the sight of the clinical lead. Connie's head was only just visible now, she had shifted in her sleep and nestled her head under the duvet as though the light that was peeping through the curtains was too much. Probably was Rita mused as she remembered the enormity of some of the hangovers she had acquired after a few too many.

Rita's mind wandered back to the night before when the god awful American had practically bundled the doctor into her arms before running off to an emergency. Connie had been an absolute mess, her eyes streaming with makeup and her blouse and skirt combo stained with both blood and vomit. It was so un Connie like that Rita had been forced to do a double take on seeing her in the lift. Connie was the hard as nails clinical lead, the woman that put the fear of god into most, and the woman who had been nick named the wicked witch by the department's veteran nurse, Charlie. Rita had always seen her as someone who perhaps didn't even have feelings, that she went through life just constantly holding herself together and not feeling the pain that others word. Her mind started to whirl with reasons why a woman as strong as Connie would suddenly just let go of all grips on reality like that. _Maybe it was the death of her Father? Her Daughter... but surely the diabolical in resus couldn't have affected her that much…_

Rita looked back at Connie and let her eyes re-absorb the sight of the consultant, much more aware of the blood that was still splattered on her face and mixed with her hair. It looked like something from a horror movie, a bad prank gone wrong. This was real life though and surprisingly it was Connie that was left hurting.

Rita was gazing at the consultant, in her own world, not noticing at first the movements on the bed. The duvet being pushed back and Connie sitting upright suddenly. When Rita re-focused she allowed a gentle smile to fall to her lips as she heard Connie mutter

_'__I need to stop waking up in colleague's beds' _

Rita laughed out loud at the Clinical leads words earning a dark darting look from said clinical lead who wasn't exactly looking at her best with her skin a deathly pale and her hair a wild mess.

"Not funny Nurse Freeman, and if anyone finds out about last night, it will be your job on the line" Connie warned as she got to her feet and ran her hand through her long tousled locks. Rita's heart beat a few beats faster as she watched her stretch her back, holding her arms over her head. Connie was wearing just her bra and knickers and seemed she was still yet to realise. Rita looked at her flat stomach, so toned and soft looking. Rita smiled again as she noticed the belly bar that the brunette was wearing at her navel. When she had got her changed the night before it had been a surprise to her. Connie had never struck her as a big piercing fan.

"My lips are sealed" Rita promised as she watched Connie look around her room for a second and working out that Rita's bathroom was off her bedroom.

"… Not sure I'd want anyone to find out how perfect you look in your underwear…." Rita muttered as Connie stuck her head around the bathroom door giving Rita the perfect view of her rear end.

"Towel?" Connie asked simply as she remained pressed against the doorframe, only her head turning back in the direction of where Rita sat. Rita finally stood up and grabbed a towel from the radiator behind her.

"Nice and warm…." Rita managed as she handed it over to Connie who took it and held it to her chest.

"Not quite as hot as me then would you say?" Rita blushed as it dawned on her that Connie had in fact heard her earlier comment and was now using it against her. Rita remained speechless as Connie continued to smile at her.

"Hmm, no didn't think so" She smirked, her eyes sparkling, Rita was sure of it.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Thank you" Connie purred as she clambered from the taxi and made contact with the ambulance bay. Rita copied her moves on the other side of the taxi, her flat shoes falling against the concrete as she listened to the sound of Connie's heels hitting the floor echoing around the bay.

"Hey, Connie!" Rita and Connie both groaned at the same time as Michael Spence came into view. He held his arms out behind him as he walked straight up to Connie.

"What the hell happened last night Beauchamp? I thought we sorted this crap!" He said as he finally folded his flapping arms against his chest and placed all his weight onto his left leg.

"Michael I really don't have time for this. I am fine, as you can see. Now off you go, back up to AAU" Connie stated simply as she walked around the American and straight into the ED where patients were already backing up.

"Connie, don't walk away from me! I'm just trying to make sure you are ok" Michael called as he grabbed Connie's wrist, preventing her from moving any further.

"Don't you ever, ever touch me like that again " Connie hissed quietly so as not to draw attention to herself. Michael let his grip loosen and Connie snatched her arm out of the way.

"Now I suggest you go back to AAU before I really lose my temper with you Mr Spence" Connie warned before turning on her laboutins heel and marching inside past porters, paramedics and patients.

"What the hell is wrong with her?" Michael asked Rita who just shrugged her shoulders and raised an eyebrow.

"I dunno, maybe she's just fed up of weasels like you" Simple wording, but she saw Michaels face drop. Satisfied that she had hurt his ego enough, the blonde nurse pushed past him unnecessarily and made her way into work with a bright smile on her delicate face.


	11. Chapter 11

"Yes" Connie shouted as a knock came at her office door. The clinical lead didn't bother to look up, assuming the person knocking would soon make an appearance and explain why they were disturbing her whilst she worked hard on trying to make the annual figures for the ED add up so that Guy Self found no reason to throw a stick at her.

"I brought you a coffee…" It was Rita. She had bustled into the office clutching to one of the canteens strong black coffee's ready to present to Connie who by now was looking up intently at Rita who was babbling on about Coffee and how she remembered how she took it.

"What?" Rita asked nervously as she finally acknowledged Connie's body language and facial expression. The consultant was smiling at her, her teeth biting down on her lip as her arm held up her head.

"Nothing. Just curious that you know how I take my coffee. You have never brought me coffee Nurse Freeman" Connie teased as she lifted her body up and slouched back into her large office chair. Rita's cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she tried to come up with an excuse. It was true, never before had Rita bothered to be the clinical lead a coffee, but for some reason, the night before had made her see a side to Connie that she never expected to see. It had confused her awfully because now she was stuck with this rather odd feeling, like she actually had a crush on Connie Beauchamp. Even in her head it sounded crazy, if she spoke it out loud she would more than likely end up being sectioned. It was madness.

"Just a good guess I suppose" Rita shrugged trying to keep her cool. Connie was making her feel hot under the collar, it was like she knew exactly what to say and do to turn Rita into a shy schoolgirl with a crush on her maths teacher.

"It is a good guess isn't it" Connie cocked her head to one side again before she took the cup from the nurse and took a quick sip.

"So good in fact that if I didn't know better I would say that you have been spying on me" Connie said with a dead pan face, the face that made the world stand still and the devil wonder where she learnt it.

"Of cour- I mean, no I hav-"Rita stuttered as she tried to find the words to explain. Before anything else could be said another knock came at the door and Rita turned quickly to find Caleb Knight standing in the doorway, a cocky smile plastered on his face.

"Mrs Beauchamp, your needed in resus" He said quickly. Connie nodded her head slowly before gracefully getting up from her desk and making her way towards the office door. Cal stepped to the side to allow Connie past, in doing so he missed the look of shock fall too Rita's face as Connie walked past and gently whispered into her ear.

_'__You didn't need the coffee'_

A simple statement to most, but Rita understood it immediately. She held in a breath as she watched Connie exit the room, leaving herself and Cal just standing in the doorway. Cal was eyeing the blonde nurse suspiciously.

"You ok? You look a bit flushed" He asked. Rita cleared her throat and nodded.

"I'm fine, always am aren't I" She smiled brightly before scurrying off quickly before Cal could question her more. Her ear felt as though it was burning, like the words were still ringing through the ear drum and worming their way into her mind.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"….Apparently she's had him suspended until he gets four weeks' worth of therapy" Louise and Robyn gossiped as they stood about reception. The ED was surprisingly empty for a Thursday morning, and the news of Ash's punishment was rife through the department.

"Bit harsh considering he's probably a better doctor than she is… I mean all she does is waltz about in those heels and bark at everyone" Robyn groaned as she placed her head in her two hands and looked at Louise glumly.

"What you pair gossiping about?" Rita smiled as she slid up beside Robyn and looked between the pair excitedly.

"The wicked witch has suspended Ash for four weeks the cow" Robyn started causing Rita to frown.

"I told you, she's just too far up her own arse to see what everyone really thinks of her…" Louise added.

"You pair better stop this now" Rita warned as she felt her heart sink and her fist clench.

"Oh come on Ri, you hate the cow as much as we do" Robyn laughed.

"Right now, as you're superior I am telling you to stop this malicious and unfair conversation. You are both lucky to be working alongside one of the best surgical consultants. Just think before you speak because unless you are Connie Beauchamp, you do not know what Connie Beauchamp is going through" She hissed as she slammed several folders on the desk and flounced off quickly before she could really let into them.

The nurse made her way to the bathroom, deciding some space between her and the rest of the team was probably best. She weaved her way through the rows of seats designated for patients and headed through a set of double doors towards the toilets. She groaned as she saw the line for the female toilet. An absolute nightmare. She turned to go back to the main ED, deciding she would have to wait for some time alone. Then she remembered, she had a key to the disabled toilet. Grinning to herself as she glanced back at the queue for the toilet she picked it from her pocket and placed it in the door. She twisted the key and pulled the door open.

Two sets of eyes stared back at her. One set belonging to a mortified looking Caleb Knight the other set belonging to Connie. Her mouth was agape as she clung to Cal who had his hands entwined with hers as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Sorry" Rita muttered quickly before slamming the door shut and flouncing off, tears pricking in her eyes. She was so stupid for assuming that Connie Beauchamp was showing any sort of interest in her. She was just playing pathetic games and Rita was one of the pieces.


	12. Chapter 12

"Do you think she's ok? She's been in a funny mood all day" Cal informed Connie as he pulled his trousers up and did up his belt as she stood in the mirror checking her makeup which was still perfectly intact.

"I am her boss Caleb, not her agony aunt. I am sure that nurse Freeman is perfectly fine… anyway forget about, I need to get back to work" Connie murmured as she straightened up her skirt and flattened a piece of hair that had been sticking up from where Cal had been running his hands through.

"What are you doing tonight?" Cal asked hopefully as Connie reached behind him to grab her stethoscope from the baby change. The young doctor watched as Connie placed her stethoscope around her neck and paused for a second, just staring at the cream wall behind him.

"Listen, Cal, I have a lot on at the moment so please don't assume this is anything more than what it is" Connie said carefully, in a manner that she had learnt since being a doctor. Almost diplomatic.

"Ok" Cal mumbled sounding slightly disappointed that she was no once again pulling rank on him. Trying to maintain a professional distance when seconds before they were shagging each other's brains out.

"I'll see you later" Connie said quickly before pulling the toilet door open and escaping down the corridor, guilt eating her up slightly. Was she stringing him along? Maybe she was. Maybe she should have made it clear that she wasn't looking for anything serious, but then again maybe she was. The nights at home were eerily quiet. Just the clinical lead, a pile of paperwork and a glass of wine, or often the whole bottle. Was she actually happy? In fact when was the last time she had been happy? Her life had just been one disaster after the next. Maybe it was time for a change, time to let someone in, have someone to confide in and trust.

"Mrs Beauchamp, watch out!" Ethan called as Connie marched past the nurse's station in her own little world. It was too late though. He had called out to warn her about the puddle on the floor. The consultant hadn't been listening properly and before anyone could do anything Connie was flying through the air backwards, her dark hair flying behind her.

THUD.

Everyone in reception turned round at the sound of Connie's body hitting the floor with such force. Ethan winced at the sound, he was sure he had heard a few ribs crack. The young doctor moved quickly to his boss's side and bent down beside her.

"Mrs Beauchamp? Can you hear me?" He asked loudly. A gasp fell from Connie's lips as she lay in a pool of water which was slowly becoming tinged with red. Ethan began to assess Connie whilst Robyn and Max appeared with a wheelchair, both with concern etched on their face.

"Whoa. Look at her ankle" Max commented as he moved in for a closer look, peering at the clinical leads badly displaced ankle. Connie's foot was turned the wrong way, it made Max and Robyn feel queasy just looking at it.

"Can you get me a trolley instead? I don't want to sit her up just yet" Ethan stated as he felt for a pulse.

"She's got a pulse, going strong but I am worried about potential broken bones and that ankle, Robyn can you call the on-call orthopaedic surgeon, I want him to have a look" Ethan delegated just as Connie began to open her eyes. The woman blinked several times, the lights above seemed brighter than they usually did.

"Ahh, Mrs Beauchamp. Welcome back" Ethan smiled as Connie placed a hand to her head.

"What's going on?" She managed to croak. By now a crowd had formed around the scene and Connie found herself being stared at by members of the public and several of her own team. She felt her cheeks go red slightly as she realised she had lost all her dignity in the second she slipped.

"We are just going to take you through to resus so we can check you over, although I am pretty sure that you will need surgery on that ankle" Ethan informed her. Connie looked down her body and realised why her ankle was throbbing so much. She nearly passed out from the shock. Suddenly though a face appeared above hers.

"Jesus, are you ok? What happened? Why didn't anyone clean this mess up?" Connie smiled as she realised it was Cal, coming to try and help. His eyes were full of concern as he looked down at her, his eyes melting into hers.

"I think I will live" She managed as she held her hand out and felt for his arm before grasping hold of it tightly.

"Well you'd better, no one else in the world who can boss me about like you do" He smiled cheekily raising a smile to her lips.

"We all know there is only one reason why you listen to me!" Connie managed as Ethan began to strap up her ankle so that she was ready to be moved.

"It's that evil smile of yours" Cal joked as he held on to Connie's hand tightly.

"And the rest" She chortled, wincing slightly as she did so.

"Right, we are ready to move you now Mrs Beauchamp. There are no signs of damage to your neck or back, but can you feel any pain?" Ethan asked as he looked down at her with a serious expression on her face.

"Just my ankle, and my head a little" She answered.

"Ok, well I will have a look once we get you to resus. Cal, could you help get her up on to the tro…" Before Ethan could finish his sentence, Cal was pulling Connie into his arms carefully, holding her like a baby.

"Urm, thanks" Ethan finished as he raised an eyebrow at his brothers rather heroic actions.

Lofty held open a door for Cal as he carried Connie into resus. He had never held something so carefully in his life. He suddenly understood what a mother most feel like, holding her most prized possession in their arms. He tried to shake the feeling off as he laid Connie down on the bed and pushed a stray piece of hair from her face.

"Come on, you'll be ok" He said as he spotted a stray tear fall from her large green eyes. He squeezed her hand reassuringly before placing a kiss on her forehead. Connie sniffled before shuffling on the bed to sit herself up. Her hand fell to the back of her head. Cal watched as she winced and pulled her hand away quickly before examining the blood trace on her hand.

"How bad is it?" she grimaced looking to Cal and his Brother. Ethan smiled happily as he took a look, his hands splaying either side of the wound on the back of the brunettes head.

"Might need one or two stitches" Ethan said satisfied that his primary survey was accurate.

"And the ankle?" Connie asked hopefully.

"Might take a bit more than stitches and paracetamol I'm afraid" Ethan informed her. "It's pretty displaced you see, so I've asked someone from orthopaedics to come down"

"This cannot be happening. I have an emergency department to run and a daughter who needs my attention. What the hell am I supposed to do now?" She huffed as she glared down at her ankle.

"I'm sure something could be sorted for both of those problems. I mean Zoe's back, she could pick up some of the slack and there has to be someone Grace could stay with?" Cal reasoned with his boss and lover. Connie shook her head quickly.

"I mean Zoe will be fine, but there is no one to take Grace. The nanny has left and her Father is flying back to America" Connie panicked slightly realising her being hurt impacted on Grace.

"Could we arrange it for Grace's Father to stay in the country longer perhaps?" Ethan tried to reason as he tucked Connie's notes under his arm and pushed his glasses back up his nose.

"He has his latest mistress to get home for" Connie scoffed

"Ok, well how about we see what the orthopaedic doctor says about your ankle, and then work out what needs to be sorted. Let's not panic before the verdict is back" Ethan suggested. Connie nodded slowly, hoping for the best.


	13. Chapter 13

"Mummy" Connie's ears pricked up at the sound of her daughter's voice. The doctor turned her head to find her excitable eight year old daughter running at full pelt towards her, a card in her hand.

"Hello Darling" Connie smiled as her daughter jumped onto the sofa beside her and wrapped her arms around her mother's neck. Connie reached her arm around her daughter and cuddled her back, enjoying the cuddles and warmth her daughter was providing her with.

"Mummy, is your foot ok? Cal said you've hurt it, that's why I've made you a card" The little girl chatted as she placed the card she had made proudly in her Mother's hand. Connie's smile turned into a beam as she looked at all the effort her little princess had made.

"Wow, Gracie! This is so beautiful, thank you baby" Connie squeezed her daughter closer to her chest and placed a kiss in her hair.

"You like it?" Grace asked brightly. Connie nodded.

"Of course I do baby, Now Will you do something for Mummy?" Connie asked as she clutched the car to her chest and let Grace sit up from her embrace. Grace nodded obediently.

"Will you go and get my cardigan from my room?" Connie asked.

"Of course, I'm looking after you Mummy" Grace boasted before jumping up from the sofa and skipping off up the stairs to grab her mother her cardigan.

"That is an amazing little girl you have there" Cal said as he snuck up behind Connie, making her jump slightly. She turned her head to look at him. She felt his hands reach over to her shoulders and gently massage them.

The young doctor had just been across Holby to pick up the young girl for her Mother, who he had dropped off home before. Connie's ankle wasn't broken but it had been decided by Ethan that is was best to rest completely before stepping back into the laboutins. Cal had insisted in on helping Connie out by dropping her home and picking and dropping Grace off home.

"Thank you" Connie murmured into his arm as she rested her head against it.

"Do you want anything to eat?" Cal asked as he glanced over to the large open plan kitchen. Connie shook her head, still feeling slightly nauseous after the bang to the head.

"Ok, well let me know if you do get hungry yeah? What will little Beauchamp have to eat?" He asked as he moved towards the kitchen, finally removing his hands from Connie.

"You don't have to do this you know" Connie answered sighing.

"What would you say if I told you I wanted to?" Cal quipped back as he stopped short of the kitchen and turned back to look at the brunette beauty.

"I'd say you were totally bonkers" Connie smiled as she rested her head in her hand.

"Why? Because I want to make sure the most beautiful woman in the world and her daughter are looked after?" He answered honestly as he moved back towards the sofa and bent down beside where Connie was sat with her ankle up on a stool.

"Oh don't be so ridiculous" Connie rolled her eyes at his last comment. Cal felt his heart become heavy once again as he realised that she didn't believe a word he was saying. Maybe it was the defensive inside of her.

"Why don't you listen to me? You just don't get it do you?" Cal asked as he placed his hand on top of Connie's. Her eyes were sparkling, but her expression confused.

"Get what?" She practically whispered.

"That I love you"

**I know it's short, and I'm sorry! The next chapter will be longer I promise! Thank you for all the kind reviews and comments. **

**I hope this is still interesting you all! **

**Loves – SKB x**


	14. Chapter 14

Connie sat at her desk, her eyes following Cal around the department as he walked about with her Daughters hand firmly in his grip. She could see him now from where she sat. He was showing Grace something on the department's computer but the desk was too high for her. She watched as the young doctor lifted her daughter from her feet without a second thought and sat her down on the desk. Grace was laughing as she swung her legs whilst she spoke. The young Beauchamp was smitten was the Registrar, and so was her Mother.

It had been a surprise for Connie, falling in love with yet another registrar, but after the death of her father and her accident he had supported her. He had even dressed in a suit and held her hand at her Father's funeral. It had been a vile day, hardly anyone turning up, but the way he held her as she cried and held Grace on his lap as she cried, it was hard not to fall in love with the man.

Admittedly Connie's first impression of the doctor was that he was completely arrogant and self-obsessed. How wrong she was. After her accident he had cooked for her and Grace, cleaned, done the school run and even snuck paperwork home for Connie. He had been a lifesaver, and Connie had found herself enjoying having him around in the evenings when Grace was in bed. He made her laugh like no one ever had before. He made her body tingle with every touch.

The pair had spent hours sat on the sofa chatting about everything and anything. Connie had even shared some of her deepest secrets and thoughts with him. Every word she spoke, he listened. He doted on Grace also, spoiling her after school with sweets and chocolate, then sitting on the sofa with the two Beauchamp ladies and watched Frozen and other Disney films. It had been a long month, but he had made it bearable.

"Mommy! Look Look Look" Grace shouted as she came racing into the office, barging past several cleaners and a porter who just about managed to move out of the way before they could be knocked over by the excitable eight year old.

"What have you got there darling?" Connie asked as she sat up in her seat and leant over her desk slightly to see what Grace was trying to show her. Grace handed her Mother an envelope, which was soon tore open. Connie narrowed her eyes as she pulled out a piece of paper and opened it up.

Five words, there, written on the page.

_'__I love you. _

_Marry me?'_

Connie bit back her shock and looked outside the door of her office. Cal had disappeared from view. Connie frowned as she looked back down at the piece of paper with the five words written on.

"Gracie darling, do you know where Caleb is?" Connie asked gently as she stood up from the desk, straightening herself up and flattening her hair back into place. Grace shrugged as she bolted behind her Mother's back and jumped into her plush desk chair. Connie sighed before turning to look at her daughter who was spinning herself about in the chair.

"Wait here" Connie directed her daughter before she double checked her reflection in the glass of the door.

"You look beautiful Mummy" Grace piped up as she caught sight of her Mother faltering for a second. Connie smiled briefly, too nervous to concentrate properly.

"You stay here, I'll be back soon sweetheart" Connie said finally before finding the courage to march out of her office, her face straight, not willing to show anyone just how jittery she was feeling. It had only been just over a month since they decided to try out a relationship. It was all so sudden and so soon. Sure she had been married before but with Michael it had been different. Convince for them both. He had made her look good and she had made him look good. They had been the ultimate power couple. She still remained bitter about Michael and the end of their marriage, but Caleb had qualities that Michael had never possessed. He was probably as much of a flirt as her ex-husband, but since he and Connie had decided to make a go of things, she had not seen his eye stray once. Instead, the buxom blondes in cubical get small talk and fixing up, while all the while his gaze would move with her as she moved about the department.

Another thing about Cal, he changed for her, not because he asked her too, because he understood that Connie wasn't like other women, she had a little girl who was her priority and a demanding job. Connie smiled fondly as she remembered their conversation the night before.

_"__Lofty and Max are badgering me to go out, something about half price drinks" Cal murmured into Connie's hair as he stood over where she sat at her desk. _

_"__Go if you want" She had whispered gently as he rubbed his face against hers. _

_"__I don't. Anyway I promised Grace that I would help her make some Christmas cookies" He said softly. Connie had laughed at his last comment, finding it hard to envision Cal stood in her kitchen with her eight year old, wearing a piny with a whisk in his hand. _

_"__Hey, don't laugh. I'll have you know that I am a bit of a whizz in the baking department! I used to help my Mom when she made the pudding for Sunday dinner. Anyway I could hardly say no to that adorable face of her's." He had chuckled causing Connie to shudder under the cold breaths on her neck. _

_"__She is rather persuasive, but if you do want to go out it's ok. You haven't been out since we got together" Connie said, half hoping he would just come home with her. _

_"__I said I don't want too. I would rather spend the time with you and Grace, our little family" _

His words had completely melted her heart and she wondered how she could have read the man so wrong. He was everything Michael had never been.

Connie wrapped her arms around herself as she stepped into the ambulance bay, the wind cold and bitter. Connie's curls started to bounce about her face as she looked around for any signs of the young doctor. The sky was beginning to turn a crisp white, sign that snow was soon to fall. It was the 1st of December, perhaps they were going to have a white Christmas.

Connie took one last glance around, noting Dixie and Iain milling about outside their ambulance and Max puffing on a cigarette just behind her.

"You alright there Mrs B?" Max called as he watched her intently. She was looking for something or maybe someone he reasoned.

"Fine… I'm perfectly fine" Connie mumbled as her eyes darted around" Actually, Max, have you seen Doctor Knight?" She asked as she turned to face him. Smoke was wafting in front of him but he just batted it away with his hand, his eyes not leaving hers.

"In trouble again is he?" Max grinned. Connie rolled her eyes before turning around again, putting her back to the porter.

"Something like that" She answered.


	15. Chapter 15

Frustration was starting to build now. He had been sat on the bench outside for at least half an hour and there was still no sign of her. He was sure she would have gone looking for him, but so far there was no sign. He sighed as he picked himself up from the bench and trudged back towards the ED.

"Cal, Mrs Beauchamp was looking for you, what you been up to you naughty boy" Max joked as he took one last drag on a cigarette and bent down to grab his coffee.

"Nothing just yet" Cal said shortly before disappearing inside the ED. Max looked into the now empty spot vacantly as he tried to work out what he meant. Mrs Beauchamp had something like that when he had asked her why she was looking for him. Max drank the last sip of his coffee before he sloped back into the ED.

"Max, can you help us with a patient?" Dixie called as she and Iain wheeled in a rather large patient. It was apparent that Dixie and Iain wouldn't be able to manage the transfer.

"Yeah course, where we going? Resus?" He asked as he helped to pull along the trolley while Dixie reeled off the sats and observations to Robyn who was walking along beside them.

"Yeah, Mrs Beauchamp should be ready for it" Dixie answered as Robyn moved ahead and held open one door whilst Charlie held the other. The two paramedics, Max, and the two nurses all gathered around the trolley as they came to a stop, each person looking at another trying to work out the safest way to lift the man.

"I think we may need a few more hands" Iain suggested as he looked at what the team had to offer strength whys.

"I'll go and see who's free. I'll see if I can find Mrs Beauchamp too" Robyn offered earning a nod from Charlie. The young nurse released her grip of the trolley and headed back into the main ED where she found a preoccupied Cal walking about the ED, his eyes darting about everywhere like he was looking for something.

"Cal, we need your help in resus" Robyn called. Cal looked up. The search for Connie would have to wait, although he hoped she would pop up. He wanted to talk to her sooner rather than later. Later would be too late, the moment gone.

"What have we got?" He asked reluctantly as he followed Robyn to Resus.

"Bariatric patient with shortness of breath and a wheeze. GCS and BP are low, as his is resps rate. We can't actually get him on to the bed…"

"Robyn, I gather my patient has arrived" Connie barked as she appeared from behind a pillar, her hair now tied up.

"In resus" Robyn replied.

"Good, shall we?" Connie asked as she held the doors open for the doctor and nurse. Robyn filed inside but Cal stalled, reaching out his hand to touch Connie.

"I've been waiting for you… We need to talk" Cal said quietly.

"Not now, I'm a bit busy" Connie hissed as she pulled her arm free of his grasp and budged the door open with her shoulder. She was through the door when she felt a tug at her hand. She spun round to reprimand the registrar but she turned he was gone, but his hand was still holding on to hers. She looked down to the floor to find Cal down on one knee, half his body is resus and half of it out.

"Doctor Knight, please. Get up!" Connie hissed as she looked around, realising everyone was staring at her as she blushed crimson from embarrassment.

"Connie Beauchamp, please make me the happiest man alive and marry me?" He asked ignoring the gasps and the gossips. He watched as Connie took one final scan of the department before looking down at him, her face giving away nothing. There was a pause which to Cal felt like forever, she looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights. His brain had finally kicked in and he realised that this probably hadn't been the best of ideas. Connie was a very private person, liking to keep things on the low down. They had agreed not to tell anyone at work, keep a professional distance at work. He looked up at her longingly for an answer but she refused to even acknowledge him.

"I have some paperwork to do" She said as calmly as possible before slowly walking off towards her office, leaving Cal kneeling on the floor staring at her empty space.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Gracie, come on darling. Get your coat on, were going home" Connie announced as she swept into her office and grabbing her own coat from the coat rack. Grace looked up from her Mothers desk and pouted.

"Where's Cal?" She asked as she looked past her Mother and finding no sign of the man.

"Cal's still got some work to do, but how about we go home, put Frozen on and eat so much popcorn we feel sick" Connie suggested as she grabbed her bag from where it sat under a chair and took the car keys from inside.

"Can't we wait for Cal?" Grace asked sadly as she did as she was told and pulled on her coat. She sensed her Mother wasn't in the mood for disobedience or messing about.

"No darling, now come on" Connie held out her hand, relaxing as Grace took it. No more questions which Connie was grateful for. She already felt the guilt kick in, the familiar feeling stirring in her gut. He had looked so heartbroken, so sad but they had agreed. No one at work would know, they would be professional, but he had changed the rules. Created a new plan without consulting with her, and that was what had spurned the flight mode. She loved him more than anything but she had just froze. Her brain had stopped working, she just needed to get out of there. She had felt like she was being slowly suffocated, the department becoming too warm for her.

"Mummy? Are you ok?" Grace asked worriedly as she climbed into her Mother's car, sitting herself in the passenger seat.

"I'm fine baby" Connie managed to hold back the tears just about as she put her seatbelt on and placed her hands on the steering wheel.

"Let's just go home and snuggle up on the sofa… I love you Gracie" Connie said as she moved her left hand so that it sat on Graces. The young girl looked up at her Mother and smiled.

"I love you too Mummy"


	16. Chapter 16

It had been the smashing of a vase that had woken Grace from her slumber. The young girl wiped her eyes as she looked at the clock her Mother had taught her the time on. The numbers read 1:20, and Grace realised it was early in the morning. She frowned as she slid out of bed and placed her feet into her slippers. She could hear crying from downstairs and knew it was her Mother. She slowly turned the door handle so that Connie wouldn't hear her out of bed at that time in the morning. As she stepped onto the landing her Mothers sobs became a lot clearer. She sounded really sad. Grace tip toed quickly over to her Mother's room hoping to find Cal wrapped in the duvet, but as she opened the door she found the bed empty and unslept in, just the light of the moon shining down the middle.

Grace frowned as she realised Cal wasn't there, he was always there at night with them, always staying over with her Mummy. She quietly crept back across the landing and made a tentative step down the stairs. The cries were getting louder and soon enough she was at the bottom of the stairs, her Mother sat curled up on the sofa. Glass was shattered all over the floor and Grace gasped when she realised that Glass wasn't the only thing scattered across the floor. Beads of blood had dripped onto the laminate flooring.

"Mummy" Grace called out worriedly. Connie made no attempt to move so Grace called for her again. No luck, Connie was still crying and as Grace moved around the room so that she was stood in front of her she found her Mother's hand was the source of the blood. Her whole right hand was covered in it, a large cut across her palm, and her knuckles red and bruised. Grace began to panic, wondering what to do. Cal wasn't there and she had no idea what to do. That's when she spotted Connie's phone on the coffee table. Grace looked quickly from the phone to her unresponsive Mother and made the decision to grab it and run up the stairs so that she could call someone.

The young girl raced up the stairs and sat herself at the top before unlocking the phone and going to the contacts. She scrolled down the list trying to find a name she would recognise. Elliot, her uncle Elliot. She pressed call and listened as the phone went straight to answer phone. The only other name she recognised was Cal's. Grace quickly found his name and pressed call. To her relief it began to ring and after a few seconds the sound of Cal's sleepy voice was heard.

"Hello?" He asked as he placed the phone against his ear. From where he lay in his bed he could just about make out a clock on the wall. Half past one. What on earth was Connie doing calling him at that time?

"Cal it's Grace" AT the sound of Graces voice Cal sat up quickly. She sounded scared.

"Grace, are you ok? What's wrong? Is it your Mom?" He asked quickly.

"Please come over, she won't answer me, she just keeps crying and she's hurt her hand. It's bleeding. Please Cal, I'm scared" Grace sobbed as she held on tightly to the phone.

"Grace, I'll be over in ten minutes ok. Can you just go and sit with your Mummy, give her a cuddle maybe yeah? I will be as quick as I can" He promised as she jumped from his bed and pulled on his tracksuit bottoms.

"Ok" Grace croaked down the phone. Cal hung up the phone and threw it into his tracksuit pocket. He located his keys in record speed and hurried out of his room. Grace had sounded petrified, and no matter how much Connie had hurt him, he still loved her and adored Grace.

"Where are you going?" A sleepy Ethan asked as he appeared in the doorway to his room. The junior doctor had been fast asleep when he had be awoken by the sound of his Brother talking quickly on the phone and then crashing about his room to get his clothes on.

"I need to get over to Connie's now. Grace has just phoned, she sounded terrified. Apparently Connie won't stop crying and she's bleeding, a cut on the hand I think she said. I need to make sure everything is ok" Cal informed his younger brother as he slipped his feet into his shoes and did up the zip on his jacket.

"Would you like me to come with you? I mean I can take a look at her hand and you can make sure Grace is ok? I don't have to, but it was just a su-"Ethan started.

"Please, if you don't mind. I would really appreciate it"

"Of course, urm, do I have time to get changed?" Ethan asked, Cal twisted his face slightly as if to say not really.

"I suppose it doesn't matter anyway" Ethan reasoned as Cal opened their front door and disappeared out of it. Ethan took a quick look around the flat before following suit, slamming the door behind him as he left.

**I know it's only a short chapter, but it's like a bit of a bridge to the drama and fluffy romance and friendships I have planned to come up!**

**Again, thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**HAPPY 1ST OF DECEMBER! **

**SKB x**


	17. Chapter 17

Ethan felt nauseous. It was the only description for the paling of his skin, sweat beading at his forehead and the taste of bile in his throat. When agreeing with his sibling that he too should join in the mission to save Grace Beauchamp and her rather scary and ever so intimidating Mother, he had not expected to be sat in the passenger seat of Cal's Audi TT, facing country lanes at speeds that could easily rival the speed of light. The whole car journey had consisted of Cal's dangerous, corner cutting driving and Ethan clutching on to the sides of his seat for dear life. He was pretty sure that he had left marks in the leather of the seat, where his nails had dug in so as to stop him from vomiting. Funnily enough though it wasn't his brothers driving that had set it off.

At that moment in time, Cal's driving was a thought in the past.

As soon as they had pulled up on the drive at the Beauchamp's household, something was amiss. The front door was open and there was a faint sound of a child crying. Caleb had immediately jumped from his car and sprinted inside the house. Ethan was stuck for a moment. His brain momentarily needing a moment to kick in and become practical.

Seconds later he was climbing from the car and running like he had never ran before, not caring that the cold air was steaming up his glasses. He somehow made it to the door in one piece, managing not to trip over anything by any miracle. He wished his glasses had stay steamed up. Blank out the images that his eyes were being played in front of him. Her voice. The voice as she cried out, cried out for her daughter. Cal's voice as he called for an ambulance, her voice faltering as he explained the address and the emergency.

_"__She's bleeding quite heavily from several large cuts, I think an artery may have been nicked' _

There she was the _Ice queen, _on all fours in her lounge, blood trickling from her left arm and her hands. Glass in her air, and several smaller cuts on her once flawless face. Surrounding her body was broken glass. A fall. A sigh of relief almost fell from his lips. _Not an attempted suicide… but close enough. All the alcohol… _

"Eth?" Caleb called as he pulled off his jacket and quickly pressed it to Connie's arm to try and stem the bleed. Ethan glanced at his brother who nodded his head towards the little girl who was sat in the corner of the room, huddled up but her eyes transfixed on the scene in front of her. He knew immediately what his brother was telling him.

The junior doctor swallowed the bile and tried to close off his brain. A smile plastered on his face he bent down beside her, pulling her up from the floor and into his arms.

"Let's get you out of here sweetheart" He whispered before draping a blanket that he found hanging over a chair, around the child's shoulders. He quickly moved from the room and towards the front door. He could hear Grace's whimpers and held her tighter as though he could protect her from the horrible images she had witnessed.

He moved quickly out the front, relief filling his shaking body as an ambulance pulled up on the gravel driveway, just stopping short of where Ethan and Grace stood. Ethan felt his body go numb. Blue lights were flashing in front of his eyes but it was all so surreal.

"Ethan, what you doing here?" Iain asked as he jumped out of the passenger side of the ambulance, back pack full of medical equipment. Shortly after he dropped to the floor from the steps of the ambulance, Dixie was doing the same.

"It's Mrs Beauchamp…" Ethan started.

"I'll go and take a look, Dix, you alright with Ethan and the daughter?" He asked as he gently lifted the blanket from Graces head and smiled down at the nervous looking young girl.

"Alright, just shout if you need any help mate" Dixie called after him as Ethan struggled with Grace in his arms. Iain called a quick _will do _in the blonde's general direction before disappearing from sight leaving just the three of them.

"Come on, let's get this little lady looked at" Dixie said gently as she reached out and prized Grace from Ethan's arms. Grace made no attempt to retaliate, instead just allowing Dixie to take her. Dixie placed her on her hip and pulled the blanket around.

"Come on sweetheart, let's get you warmed up, have a cuddle yeah?" Grace nodded her head before placing it on the paramedics shoulder and allowing her eyes to close.

Ethan stayed in the spot where he had greeted the paramedics from, his eyes looking up at the large house, the blue lights from the ambulance illuminating up the walls. It was haunting, a sight that for some reason would stay with him forever. He felt a shiver down his spine before the sound of footsteps were heard again. His eyes moved down to the front door where Caleb was carrying a pale and exhausted Connie Beauchamp in his arms, and Iain was locking up the front door, taking one quick glance up at the house before moving towards the ambulance and muttering several words under his breath.

"Seems money can't buy you happiness"


	18. Chapter 18

Disassociated. Isolated. Numb. Scared.

The four words she would use to describe her life in the moments after she arrived at the hospital. People were talking, their mouths moving, the ringing of telephones and calls from one staff member to the other. It was so overwhelming, her head shooting from right to left and so forth as the world in front of her blurred creating large masses of colour rather than bodies and faces.

The consultant gripped tightly to the wheelchair that she had been placed in by Dixie, too agitated and worried to do anything else. She couldn't find the words to speak, her words coming out in slurs mainly due to the copious amount of alcohol her body had been subjected too. She tried to lift herself up from the wheelchair, she could walk. She couldn't have the staff seeing her in such a state, but before her feet could touch the floor a hand was clasping at her shoulder, gently pushing her back into the chair.

"Come on, nearly there now" Came the gentle voice of a concerned looking Cal who was trailing along beside the wheelchair carrying his precious cargo. He moved his hand from her shoulder and placed it on her head.

"I love you" He whispered as he bent his head down to meet the top of hers, placing a small kiss amongst the soft brown hair that covered her head. He felt her grip onto his arms and look up at him with a sad look in her eyes.

"You will be fine, I promise" He whispered reassuringly. A small and very weak smile fell to Connie's lips as she gave the registrar's hand a quick squeeze and allowed Dixie and a freshly appeared Lofty to get her onto the resus trolley. Iain had followed behind the group, carrying a crying Grace in his arms. The young girl was still wrapped in a blanket, the top of her head only just visible. Iain looked around awkwardly, realising he didn't actually have anywhere to place the child.

"Do you want me to take her?" The familiar accent of Zoe Hanna was heard from behind where he had stopped. He turned, nodding.

"Cheer's" He murmured as he handed Grace over.

"Let them know I'm taking her to Connie's office"

"Yeah course. Cheer's Zoe" Iain said smiling before he turned his attention back to the figures that were hunched around the trolley where Connie had been placed.

"Right well Lofty here will begin to remove the glass from the cuts, then we'll clean you up a little and stitch up some of the wounds. I would also like to take a urine sample of some sort just as a precaution, humour me if you must, I just have a slight hunch" Iain could hear Ethan's voice over the top of the noises of machines and various conversations. The junior doctor smiled as he looked between Connie and Cal. Cal noted that his brother was no longer wearing his night clothes, but had instead at some point changed into his light blue scrubs.

Connie nodded bleakly before managing a smile for Cal who was stood beside her holding her hand.

"I just want to go home, curl up with you and Grace. Please?" She begged.

"Soon, I promise. Just let them do what they do best yeah?" He reasoned. Connie pouted slightly for a second, reminding Cal of a look he had seen the younger Beauchamp do many a time when she wasn't getting her own way. Grace. Cal looked around suddenly realising Grace was not in sight.

"Cal, what's wrong?" Connie began to panic as she noted the concerned look in his eyes.

"Nothing but I ought to check on Grace" He replied as calmly as possible, not wanting to awaken more panic in the doctor.

"Zoe's got her mate" Iain suddenly spoke, realising that the two doctors were panicking about where the young girl had got too" There in Connie's office" He smiled looking down to Connie who was beginning to gain a little colour back.

"Cheer's" Cal replied turning back to look at Connie.

"Everything will be ok now, I promise" He said gently as Iain disappeared from view. Cal leant over the sides on the trolley and pushed a piece of hair back behind Connie's ear.

"I really hope so…" Connie grumbled miserably. The alcohol was wearing off and she was beginning to develop the world's most almighty hangover.

"Right Mrs Beauchamp, Rita here is going to take you down to the toilet so we can get that urine sample, so if you could jump down into the wheelchair, that would be brilliant" Ethan announced as he strode into resus, followed closely by a reluctant looking Rita.

"It is all quite unnecessary Doctor Hardy, I'm pretty sure I can make it to the toilet without Nurse Freeman holding my hand…" Connie stated.

"Connie..." Cal started to speak but Connie shot him one of her deathly ice stares.

"I'm afraid, as you well know, it is hospital policy, so I'd save yourself the paperwork and just take up our goodwill gesture" Ethan joked earning an eye roll from a sulking Connie.

"Fine, if I must" She huffed before shuffling herself forward in the bed and dropping her legs over the side of it.

"But just remember that I have the final say on the Christmas off duty"

**Hiya,**

**sorry for the lack of updates recently. My life is a little chaotic and full of uncertainty at the moment, **

**but I hope this chapter is up to scratch. I will try and update this again tomorrow to make up for the delay. **

**Thank you all for reviewing and encouraging me with this Fic.**

**Please carry on reading and reviewing!**

**All my love and Christmas cheer**

**SKB x**


	19. Chapter 19

"You look like shit" Rita finally spoke. She looked at Connie's reflection in the mirror in front of her, watching as Connie slowly looked up from where she had been washing her hands, her eyes narrowing and her lips turning to an unimpressed pout.

"Thank you, I'm sure" She muttered as she reached up for the paper towels, failing miserably. The dispenser was too high up on the tiled white walls and Connie was in the wheelchair still.

"I knew you would try and find a compliment in there somewhere" Rita huffed as she reached over Connie's head and pulled out several sheets of the green paper before handing them over to the brunette in the chair.

"I'm sorry but what on earth is all this about? What have I done to upset you so badly?" Connie turned herself in the chair, her eyes becoming fixed on Rita as she momentarily stood frozen to the spot. The blonde had not expected Connie to catch on to her frostiness. She had to admit though, she was not really sure why she was being so snappy with the clinical lead. It had been her own imagination that had run wild, assuming that Connie Beauchamp would ever show any kind of romantic interest in her.

"It doesn't matter" Rita replied as she took the breaks off the wheelchair and began to move it back towards the bathroom door.

Connie reached down the side of the NHS issue wheelchair and pulled the breaks back on causing Rita to nearly fly over the top of her.

"What have you done that for?" Rita asked with annoyance. Connie raised an eyebrow into a perfect arch and crossed her arms.

"We are not leaving this toilet until you tell me what it is I have done to make you act like a spoilt brat at Christmas!" Connie allowed the words to tumble out of her mouth, the anger mounting in her. Rita took a deep breath, her body language softening. She finally looked Connie in the eyes again, seeing the vulnerability of the older woman she automatically reached out, her thumb caressing Connie's jaw line.

"Nothing, and that's the problem. I stupidly thought that maybe you felt something for me, like I realised I felt for you… stupid I know… then I find you and Cal are in some sort of relationship and I just wanted to slap you, make you hurt like I hurt" She revealed. Connie allowed her mouth to fall agape slightly, a tinge of sadness in her eyes. She quickly corrected herself, fixing Rita with a tender look.

"I'm sorry…. I didn't know…" Connie croaked.

"How would you. I was just over reacting wasn't I? I mean you don't need this right now, just forget I said anything" Rita quickly replied before reaching down to take the breaks off the wheelchair.

"You are someone I will always admire Rita, don't let anything make you feel otherwise" Connie had placed a hand on Rita's arm, forcing the blonde to look back at her boss. Rita and Connie looked into each other's eyes for a second before Rita nodded slowly.

"Now come on Nurse Freeman, before people begin to talk" A small smile crept across the clinical leads face as she finally let go of the nurse's arm. Both women began to laugh as Rita took the breaks off the wheelchair.

"Come on then Beauchamp, back to bed"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ethan took a deep breath as he analysed Connie's urine sample for a third time. He wanted to be absolutely positive of the results before telling Connie. A mix up could cost him his career, especially with Connie Beauchamp as his patient. He turned around from where he stood, watching as Connie sat with Grace cuddled up beside her and Cal and Rita both stood around the trolley, all three talking animatedly about something. He composed himself before turning around quickly and walking over to the three staff members who were discussing Christmas.

"Mrs Beauchamp…" He started.

"Ah, Bro, fancy Christmas dinner with us this year? Rita's going to join us too…. It's going to be a special one!" Ca smiled as he looked down at Connie who was beaming happily. It had been her idea to do Christmas big, inviting Rita, who otherwise would be alone, and having a big meal.

"Sounds super, but I have something that may make Christmas a little more special…" He started. Everyone was looking at him now expectantly. He had everyone's attention. He cleared his throat feeling the pressure mounting.

"You are pregnant…. Around eight weeks I would say…" He had dropped it, and now he was waiting for the reaction. Connie looked confused for a second, obviously trying to work out the dates. Cal was watching her intently trying to work out what she was thinking.

A smile fell to her plump lips.

"Maybe we should get married after all… Daddy" She smiled. Cal looked at her in disbelief for a second as though he was not expecting her to name him as the Father.

"Me?" He stuttered. Connie nodded gently waiting for his reaction.

"Eth! I'm going to be a dad!" He laughed suddenly before moving around the bed and pulling his younger brother into his arms.

"I'm going to be a Dad!" He shouted again. Rita had leant over the bed and placed a kiss on Connie's forehead, whispering a congratulations.

"This is going to be the best Christmas ever" Cal called before dancing out of resus shouting his good news excitedly. Connie smiled at his behaviour before placing a hand on her stomach.

"Happy Christmas little one"


	20. Chapter 20

**Hi all! **

**Firstly a big thank you to all of you have reviewed ! So glad you are enjoying it! Words can't express how overwhelmed I have been by all your kind comments! **

**Secondly, I hope you are still enjoying it and I hope this chapter is also enjoyable! I will carry on trying to update all through this week, a little Christmas present from me to you.**

**hope you all have a wonderful Christmas,**

**All my Love,**

**SKB x**

Working late on Christmas Eve was not Cal's idea of a 'family' Christmas. In fact it was not Cal's idea of Christmas at all. The last few years, probably since he was 18, had been full of a rather large Christmas Eve on the town, downing glass after glass of vodka, beers and whatever else was on offer in the clubs. This year though he had hoped to have Christmas Eve off so that he could snuggle up on the sofa with his pregnant partner and step-daughter. He had been dreaming about it since the day he found out he was going to be a Father. But here he was, doing the round, ensuring that all the patients under his care were lying on their sides so they didn't choke to death on their own vomit. Everyone in cubicles was drunk, some dressed as Santa Claus, and other's dressed in very little considering it was snowing outside.

"Eugh. Remind me never to work Christmas Eve ever again" He groaned as he moved his head from side to side, listening as it clicked.

Lily Chou looked over the top of her glasses and rolled her eyes.

"Why, is work taking up your drinking time?" She asked sarcastically. Cal looked over to the doctor who was typing away at the computer at the nurse's station, a face that could make Santa run a mile.

"No, but work is eating up the time I could be spending with my pregnant fiancé and my step-daughter" Cal answered sincerely as he shot Lily a stern look. Lily looked up surprised.

"Your fiancé? What are you talking about doctor Knight? Have you been drinking?" Lily asked as she narrowed her eyes and moved towards Cal, looking out for signs of drunkenness.

"Have you been living in a cave?" Cal asked

"No, why?" Lily asked, uncertainty lacing her words.

"So how do you not know that I am engaged?" Cal asked as he folded his arms and leant against the nurse's station.

"I don't listen to gossip… plus no one really speaks to me anyway, unless its work related" She added.

"Well maybe if you were nicer to people…."

"I am Nice!" Lily protested. Cal smirked slightly as he watched Max saunter a long behind the young student pulling a sour looking face.

"Sure you are" He mumbled as he looked down at his watch.

"Yes, home time!" He cried. Lily also looked down at her own watch and frowned. Q12`

"There is still three hours left of the shift. It's only five o'clock" Lily argued.

"Perks of being engaged to the boss I guess" Cal smiled as he tucked a pen into his scrubs and pulled his phone from his trouser pocket. A smile fell to his face as he opened a text that had been sent to him by Connie.

'A Christmas jumper selfie from your girls x x x'

Underneath the text was a picture of Connie who was wearing a cream jumper with Robin on, highlighting her small bump. Grace was curled up beside her, a large smile plastered across her face as she wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"The boss? You mean Mrs Beauchamp?" Lily asked not believing him. Cal looked up from his phone quickly at the sound of her words, smile on his face.

"I do indeed Doctor Chou. Look…" Cal held his phone out to her, showing her the photo of Connie and Grace. Lily stood open mouthed for a second, she was about to speak but the sound of footsteps and the shout from across the room had distracted Caleb.

"There he is, Christmas Cal"

A ripple of laughter filled the ED as those close by overheard and feel into a laugh. For the past month Cal had been wandering about the ED with a sparkling smile and a Santa hat placed on his head. Excitement for Christmas had overwhelmed him this year, never had he been so festive. Even the lack of cash in his wallet wasn't enough to make him falter. He had splashed out big time on Connie and Grace, ensuring their first Christmas together was perfect.

"Very Droll. What have you come as anyway?" Cal asked as he took in Rita's garish red jumped adorned with sequins and a large reindeer with small flash lights in the antlers which were now flashing every colour of the spectrum.

"That's not the best of it I'm afraid" Ethan admitted before Rita reached down under her jumper, fiddling about until Rudolph the red nose reindeer came to life in song. Cal groaned at the music and shook his head.

"Don't let Grace see that for god sake, or it will be playing non-stop" Cal informed the nurse.

"Sure" She smirked before revealing her crossed fingers to Ethan who shared a wicked smile with her.

"Urm, hello? What is going on here? This is an emergency department not a social club" Lily interrupted as she moved around the desk so that she was standing in the middle of the two brothers and the nurse.

"Were going, don't worry" Rita called rolling her eyes as she tucked her arm under Cal's and reached out for Ethan.

"Come on boy's. We've got some Christmas cheer to be spread…. Have a nice evening Lily" She called before tucking her other arm in Ethan's, the three of them strolling away.

"Wait, Ethan, Rita? You are going as well?" Lily asked confused.

"Connie cleared it" They chimed at the same time, their feet not stopping until they got outside and felt the coldness that could only come with snow. All around them was a blanket of thick snow. Rita's face lit up as she bent down and scooped up a ball of snow. The two doctors carried on ahead to where Cal's car was parked.

"Cal?" She called. The registrar stopped in his tracks and turned around to be met with a face full off snow and a hysterical Rita.

"You are so going to regret that…"


	21. Chapter 21

_'__I'm driving home for Christmas Oh, I can't wait to see those faces'_

Cal smiled as the song come on to the radio, driving home for Christmas by Chris Rea was one of Connie's favourite Christmas songs. Every journey home from work had consisted of the song being played on repeat, and the house was always filled with the tones of Chris rea and Connie singing along with it.

"What you grinning about?" Asked Rita who was sat beside Cal in the passenger seat. Ethan was sat in the back, his eyes full of worry as he watched the snow fall down from the sky, all of it settling and making the driving conditions dangerous. Cal was only driving at 10 miles per hour and yet every so often the tyres would slip slightly.

"Connie. This is her favourite Christmas song, always singing it" He smiled fondly at the thought of Connie who was waiting at home for the three medical professionals to get home so that Christmas could really start.

"She is full of surprises! Have you ever seen her cry at a film?" Rita asked laughing at the thought of Connie sitting and crying at anything.

"She'll cry at anything at the moment. Caught her tearing up over a kitchen roll advert the other day" Cal recalled walking into the lounge to find his partner curled up on the sofa wiping her eyes as the advert came to an end. When questioned about it Connie had stated that it was just amazing how far the world had come over the years. Cal had practically bit his tongue off just trying not to laugh.

"A Kitchen roll advert" Rita roared with laughter" She is never ever ever going to hear the end of this"

"Hmm…" Cal murmured as he fiddled with the gearstick and pushed down harder on the exhilarator. A frown appeared on his face as he continued to try and rev the engine. The car refused to shift and the engine suddenly cut out.

"Shit!" Cal hissed as he turned the keys several times, desperate to get the car to start again. Rita and Ethan looked to each other before looking back at Cal.

"What's happened?" Ethan questioned as he looked around him. The road was dead, no traffic or people in sight.

"Were stuck, the snow must have been too thick for the car to get through. I'm going to go and see if I can give it a push" Cal mumbled as he undid his seatbelt and opened up the door heading out to the snow.

"Cal don't be stupid, stay in the car, that's what the AA always say!" Rita called to him hoping the doctor would take some notice of her pleas.

"I'll be alright, I just need to give it a bit of a push" Cal answered as his feet made contact with the snow and stood up.

"I really don't think that this is a wise idea" Ethan added as he stuck his head between the front two seats.

"You two need to chill out a little" Cal rolled his eyes before slamming the car door shut. He turned to move around to the back of the car, but before he could move out of the road he caught sight of a car skidding towards him, the lights shining brightly in his eyes, startling him. He was temporarily blinded, his body froze like a rabbit in the headlights.

"CAL! MOVE" Rita cried desperately as she undid her seatbelt in a panic. She had clocked the car at the same time as Cal, it had come out of nowhere and now it was heading towards Cal and the car.

"Quickly, get out" Ethan shouted as he too undid his seatbelt and jumped from the car on the other side. He pulled Rita's door open just in time. The blonde flew out of the car knocking Ethan flying several metres before landing on top of him. There was a sudden loud thud and Cal's car went spinning down the road. The other car crashed into a nearby tree. Rita lay on Ethan for a second more before daring to sit up and take in the scene. She clambered up, her body shivering and turned to face where the car had previously been.

"CAL" She screamed as she spotted the registrar lying lifeless in the middle of the snowy carriageway, blood seeping from his head.

"Ethan, you need to call an ambulance now" Rita screamed to the man's brother who was sat at the side of the road with his knees tucked under his chin, tears pouring from his face. The young doctor made no effort to move instead staying motionless his eyes not leaving Cal's body.

"ETHAN! CALL THE AMBULANCE!" Rita cried again as she bent down over Cal and began to look at the injuries. His eyes were shut so Rita slowly opened them one by one. Her heart sunk. The right pupil was blown.

"Come on Cal, just wait sweetheart. Connie will be wanting you home for Christmas" She sobbed as she wiped a piece of hair from his eyes and placed a kiss on his forehead.

"Fight for her"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The ringing of the phone made Tess jump slightly as she stood writing up her notes at the nurse's station. She sighed before picking up the receiver. It was Dixie and Iain. Tess listened to their words before she felt a lump in her throat and her body suddenly lose colour.

"Okay, we'll get it all sorted. Just make sure he is ok" She finished the conversation and hung up before slamming the phone down, grabbing the attention of the nurses and doctors that were floating about.

"We have an incoming emergency, Doctor Knight has been involved in a crash and it looks like he may be critical. Lofty I need you to phone Mrs Beauchamp and let her know, Charlie and Lily, you're with me. Could some also get hold of Zoe Hanna, were going to need her here… now"

**Sorry for the delay in updating! The last week or so has been a little crazy! **

**Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and new year, hope you enjoy the update! **

**:) **


	22. Chapter 22

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR KIND REVIEWS! **

**Here's the next instalment, hope it's up to scratch! x **

Connie glanced down at her gold Michael kors watch, an early Christmas present of Cal. Her eyes met as her face turned to a frown as she realised that Cal had finished work an hour and a half ago. She was beginning to come concerned, if he was stuck in the snow he would have phoned to let her know rather than allowing her to become more restless and worried. Grace had become bored of waiting and was now passed out on the sofa, curled up under a throw that Connie had placed over her small body.

Connie reached out for her iPhone, ready to call Cal and ask him what he was playing at. As she pulled up her call log, ready to press on Cal's name there was a ring of the doorbell. Cal had obviously forgotten his keys. Connie rolled her eyes as she made her way to the door, her heels tapping against the laminate flooring that was laid down in the hallway.

"You need to stop forgetting the keys!" Connie called as she pulled at the lock and released the handle.

"You are ridiculously late…what kept y-" Connie started as she pulled open the door before coming face to face with Dylan Keogh who was clearly wrapped in some many layers of clothing that he looked as though he had put on five stone. Connie raised her perfectly arched eyebrow and crossed her arms across her swelling stomach.

"Doctor Keogh…. Can I help you?" She asked slightly confused. Her eyes strayed to just behind where Dylan stood, his land rover was still running, the lights beaming at the house.

"I suggest you get your coat, child and take off those ridiculous shoes. It's snowing out here" He answered her, straight laced as ever. He looked about him, not daring to look Connie in the eye.

"I am fully aware of the conditions Doctor Keogh, but what on earth are you doing here?" Connie hissed at the doctor.

"Taking you to the hospital. I really would suggest changing your shoes though, it's a bit icy" Dylan carried on as the snow carried on falling around him. By now Connie was beginning to get very pissed off with the man, her eyes narrowing, her arms crossing across her chest and a pout at the lips.

"Dylan, has no one ever told you that you speak utter crap at times, now what do you want?" Connie snapped.

"I am taking you to the hospital. Your beloved has been involved in a RTC, now are you going to get your coat and change those god awful shoes?" Connie stepped back into the house, slamming the door in Dylan's face before dashing through to the lounge where Grace was still flat out.

"Grace, get up. Now" Connie snapped as she kicked her heels off and grabbed her brown ugg boots from where they sat beside the sofa. Grace sat up wearily, rubbing her eyes. She looked at her Mother who was wearing boots rather than the heels she had been wearing previously.

"What's going on?" Grace croaked as she watched her Mother pull on her blue coat, doing up all the buttons before throwing Grace her green coat and black boots.

"Put these on. We're going to the hospital, Cal's been hurt" Connie said simply as she grabbed her mobile and threw it into her handbag. Grace sprang into action, pulling on her shoes and coat whilst Connie blew out several candles and turned off the lights.

"Come on darling" She called as she held her hand out and lead Grace through to the hallway.

"Is Cal ok?" Grace asked worriedly as Connie turned off the hallway lights and opened the front door.

"The staff are looking after him darling, he'll fight" Connie answered as she ushered Grace out of the door.

"Dylan" Grace managed, trying to hold her tears back. Dylan nodded at her in acknowledgment before reaching out both hands towards both the Beauchamp women. Grace looked up at her Mother worriedly, only reassured by a nod. Both Mother and Daughter accepted Dylan's hands, realising that otherwise they would just keep slipping over.

Dylan grasped both of their hands tightly, there was no way he was allowing his pregnant boss to fall over and hurt herself, it was the kind of guilt he could not live with.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"How come they sent you?" Connie broke the silence that had been hanging in the land rover since they had left her house. Grace was sat in the back, quietly sucking on her thumb, something she did for comfort when she was worried or sad. Connie sat in the passenger seat beside Dylan who was showing exceptional driving skills considering the snowy conditions.

"I have a land rover" He stated simply.

"yes…"

"It's an off road vehicle, designed for all weather. Safest way to get you to the hospital"

"Oh" Connie managed before she turned her head to look at him" Thank you"

"It was Zoe's idea" Dylan stated.

"You didn't have to though…"

"I did…." He said sincerely before realising he had let himself slip up in front of his boss" Zoe would have killed me" He added quickly as he rounded one final corner before the entrance to the ED was visible.

Dylan parked up as close to the ED entrance as he could before killing the engine. The male doctor looked too his boss who's makeup up was now noticeably smudged and rolling down her face. Dylan cleared his throat awkwardly before undoing his seatbelt.

"I'll urm… I'll take Grace to your office, or urm get the porter, Mickey? Martin"

"Max" Connie informed him. She was pretty sure he knew his name, Dylan wasn't stupid after all.

"Yeah, I'll get him to keep an eye" Dylan finished before climbing from his car and shutting the door. Connie watched as he moved around the front of the car and pulled her door open. Connie gently undid her seatbelt before taking Dylan's hand and getting out the car as best as she could with a baby bump.

"Wait here" Dylan warned before moving round to the back of the car and picking Grace out of the car so she wouldn't slip over on the floor. Moving back to Connie, Grace's head resting on his shoulder, Dylan held out and arm allowing Connie to link her arm through his so that he could guide her safely into the department.

"Connie" Zoe Hanna appeared suddenly emerging from the doors of resus with Cal's notes tucked under her arm. Connie let go of Dylan's arm and moved over to her deputy who was looking at her worriedly. Dylan smiled briefly at Connie before hurrying off to find Max, Grace still in his arms.

"His just through here. His stable for now, were waiting for Guy to come down so he can assess him. He hasn't regained consciousness since the accident" Zoe informed her as Rita pulled out a stool and placed it beside Cal's bed so that a fragile Connie could sit down beside him. Connie felt her body suddenly begin the tremble, the shock and reality of what was happening finally hitting her. Her eyes absorbed the sight of the registrar, wires draping from his bruised and broken body. His eyes were swollen to match his fractured cheekbones. His whole body was covered in various purple bruising, his ribs the worst. A hand fell to Connie's mouth before she felt her legs begin to give way. There was a tube into his mouth, keeping him breathing and his air way. She had done the procedure so many times, thinking nothing of it but now faced with someone she loved it became a nightmare.

Rita, who had been standing on the other side of the bed looked up quickly at the sound of Connie's sudden gasps for air. She threw Cal's observation chart to the floor before running round to the other side to help Catch Connie before she fell to the ground. Zoe, who had turned away to talk to one of the nurses, turned sharply at the sound of Rita's panic and quickly linked her arm through Connie's, pulling the woman up.

"Can we have a wheelchair here please?" Rita called out to the staff who were milling about in resus. A young nurse who was nearest to the doors quickly disappeared to grab one, seconds later returning with Max in tow.

Max slammed the breaks onto the chair as he placed it right behind Connie's failing body. Rita and Zoe gently lowered her into the seat, both looking at each other worriedly. Connie's breathing was suddenly becoming fast and erratic.

"She's having a panic attack" Zoe mused out loud.

"Connie, breathe with me, in…..and out" Rita began.

"Where's Grace" Connie panted between breaths. Zoe looked up to Max who had supposed to have been looking after the young girl.

"She's with Lofty in the staffroom, think his teaching her how to make paper aeroplanes, at least that's what I think they were" Max smiled slightly as he answered.

"Grace is ok Connie, and Cal will be too. Come on, breathe with me darling" Rita had bent down beside the wheelchair, her hand over Connie's as she smiled gently, in a caring way. Connie began to do as Rita instructed, watching as Rita took in deep breaths. Soon enough she found herself calming, and her breathing returning to a normal rate.

"That's it. Well done" Rita soothed as she cocked her head to one side, her smile still being worn on her face.

"Thank you…" Connie whispered as she looked down awkwardly at her hands. She felt two hands wrap around them as tears slowly began to fall from her eyes. She looked up slowly, her eyes finally meeting with Rita's.

"It's going to be ok"


	23. Chapter 23

"After my divorce from my husband I promised myself I would never fall in love again… that's gone out of the window" Connie smiled faintly as she watched the rise and fall of Cal's bruised chest. Everyone had told her to get some rest, go home, shower, sleep, and eat. She couldn't. She was terrified that if she took her eye off him for one minute he would be gone, irrational she knew but she just could not leave him.

"Fuck the window" Rita muttered as she pulled up a stool on the opposite side of the registrar's bed, and looked at Connie with deep intent. Connie tilted her head back and to Rita's surprise began to chuckle at her comment.

"You're not backwards in coming forwards are you Rita?" Connie whispered as she managed to drag her eyes from Cal's chest so that they met with Rita's beautiful light blue orbs.

"I'm sure a teacher wrote that in one of my school reports…" She replied briskly.

"My school reports were absolutely terrible" Connie remembered watching her Father read one of her school reports, the horrified look on his face as he realised that his daughter had been caught smoking on school property several times, and had arrived at school a further few times drunk.

"Bullshit" Rita scoffed. Connie shook her head, her hair bobbing about her shoulders as her lips twitched.

"I shit you not. I've always hated being told what to do, although I don't recommend a whole bottle of vodka before school, if I remember rightly I vomited all down Mr Sutcliffe's vile brown suit, not so you'd notice. It was already the colour of vomit" Rita began to howl with laughter as she tried to envision her strict boss puking all down the front of one of her school teachers. This is not what she had expected from Connie.

"How absolutely humiliating" Rita managed between giggles as she tried to catch her breath. Connie noted how Rita's face had become red and flushed as she laughed, tears brimming in the corner of her eyes.

"Not the most humiliating scenario I've been in sadly…" Connie started. Rita's ears picked up and before she knew it she was leaning over the side of Cal's bed an eager look plastered over her face.

"Spill" She demanded. Connie took a deep breath wondering what on earth had possessed her too share her secrets with a nurse, a nurse she once declared she disliked greatly. Now they were chatting away like best friends. Connie paused for a second, she had never had someone she could talk to like she could with Rita. Never had a girly friend to share jokes with and secrets. It was a rather surreal moment for the brunette.

"Come on, tell me! Pleaseeee!" Rita begged. Connie jumped back into reality and looked to Rita.

"Oh yes, sorry. It was probably about seven years ago because Grace was only a baby, anyway I had been out for the night, Grace was at her Fathers and I found myself waking up in a stranger's bed. This man, I think he was called Rob or something, had left me a note saying he'd gone to work so I got up got changed. When I was ready I went over to the door and tried to pull it open but the door was either locked from the outside or stuck. So I phoned the fire brigade who had to help me out of the bedroom window and down a ladder. Turned out this man lived opposite the hospitals resident blabber mouth… by the time I got to work everyone knew, including the CEO at the time. Never have I felt so humiliated!" Rita was howling with laughter by now as she imagined her elegant boss being lifted from a window by the fire brigade.

"You tell anyone and I will hurt you" Connie warned although there was a trace of a smile on her face. Rita realised that Connie was blushing slightly, embarrassed by the story. She felt her heart beat faster as she watched her gently stroke Cal's blonde hair before placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Rita?"

"Mhm"

"Thank you" Connie said honestly.

"For what?" Rita replied confused.

"For sitting here with me, making me feel less alone. For making me laugh when I want to cry and for being the best friend I could ask for" Rita reached over Cal's body and took Hold of Connie's hand.

"I wouldn't have it any other way"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"There is some response to stimuli, but the scans show a lack of activity" Guy sighed as he read the results of Cal's scans and tests. Connie, Guy and Rita were all gathered in the corner of the room, Rita with her arm wrapped around a vulnerable Connie.

"What does this mean?" Connie's voice wobbled as she spoke, her eyes closing for a moment, a tear slipping from underneath her eyelid. Guy cleared his throat and looked to Rita whose face was wracked with sympathy and sadness.

"It means that Cal is indefinitely brain damaged Connie. He may wake up and be able to recognise you, he may even be able to talk slightly but he will be confined to a wheelchair and will need 24 hour support" Rita placed a hand to the side of Connie's face and placed her lips to the other side of her face.

"I am so sorry" She whispered as she felt the brunette begin to shake with sobs. In that moment Rita watched as Connie cleared her throat in a calm and collected way that she would expect to see if she was giving someone else the bad news.

"Well thank you for letting me know" Connie replied as she gave guy a look of professional gratitude before she turned sharply on the heel of her laboutins and marched straight out of resus leaving just Rita and Guy looking at the empty space she had vacated.


	24. Chapter 24

"Mrs Beauchamp" Connie stopped dead in her tracks and turned around to find Ethan Hardy clinging onto a curtain that surrounded a cubicle. She raised her eyebrow as she spotted the cast that had been placed onto his right arm. She hadn't been told that Ethan had been injured in the crash. She supposed though that the staff had seen she had higher priorities.

"Ethan, I'm sorry… I didn't know you had …." Connie started.

"It's perfectly understandable considering. How is my brother doing?" Ethan asked, his eyes full of hope, hope that Connie was about to diminish with the flash of a tongue. Her face fell slightly and Ethan knew then that it wasn't good.

"There's minimal brain activity. He won't walk again" The words left her mouth and soon enough she left Ethan's side. Tears brewing in the corner of her eyes. She could not allow anyone to her as weak. She had to be strong, in control. Even though she felt the world falling down around her.

She moved around the department in a trance, the faces around her were just blurs, the sounds of the department all blending into one. She found her way to her office, her hand fumbling for the door handle but before she could push down on the handle, the door was pulled open and Grace appeared in the doorway and immediately wrapped her arms around her Mothers waist.

"Come on Mum, don't cry" Grace begged as she stood back and took her Mother's hand and guided her over to the settee before settling her down and curling up beside her.

"What's wrong Mommy?" Grace asked worriedly as she looked up at her Mother who was staring straight ahead to the blinds that were partly open. Connie quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and looked down at Grace, trying her best to plaster on a small smile.

"I'm okay baby girl, don't you worry" Connie whispered as she wrapped her arm around Grace's shoulder and pulled her in close. Grace frowned momentarily, she knew her Mother wasn't telling her the truth.

"It's Cal isn't it? Mommy, what's happened? His not dead is he?" Grace asked, her lip wobbling as Connie turned her head so that Grace couldn't see the stray few tears pouring down her face. She took a deep breath before looking back down to her daughter.

"No darling, Cal isn't dead. His just very poorly and the doctors don't know what he will be capable of doing when he wakes up" Connie revealed.

"He will wake up though, won't he?" Grace asked worriedly looking to her Mother for reassurance. When Connie didn't answer Grace called her name again.

"I don't know" Connie whispered, barely audible.

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"I think what I would suggest for now is that Doctor Knight will benefit from being placed into an induced coma, it will help alleviate the pressure on the brain which might just help him" Guy spoke as he ran through Cal's medical notes with Zoe, Rita and Ethan. Ethan closed his eyes for a moment in a bid to gain some much needed composure. Rita meanwhile chewed on the skin of her thumb as she digested what this would all mean for Connie and her children.

"He needs to wake up, Connie's carrying his child for god sake! Isn't there anything more we could try, I read an article in the BMJ last week, there's a new technique they are using in switze-"

"Doctor Hardy, I appreciate this is difficult for you and Mrs Beauchamp, but I assure you that this is the best thing for your brother. He needs time to rest so that he can recover from this trauma" Guy spoke softly as he attempted to reassure the doctor. Ethan nodded slowly realising that Guy was in fact the professional in this particular situation.

"What do we tell Connie though? I mean this news could potentially tip her over the edge. You both saw what she was like a few months ago. He has practically given her a reason to live and now she cou…. She could lose all of that. I'm really not sure how she will cope" Rita spoke, her voice breaking slightly as she thought back to the state Connie had managed to get herself into before.

"We will just have to do what we do best Rita. Be there for her, support her, support Grace. I know that Connie will get through this" Zoe added as her eyes met with Rita's.

"I really hope you are right Zoe because I will not forgive myself if anything happens to her" Rita admitted.

"NOTHING, and I mean nothing is going to happen because she won't be alone, I was thinking I could possibly go and stay with her until Cal is better, help out with the house and with Grace" Ethan suggested. Zoe narrowed her eyes for a second as she thought about Ethan's proposal.

"It's a good idea but I would think Connie would appreciate if it was someone she could really confide in, no offence. I was thinking maybe Rita?" Zoe looked too Rita who looked a bit taken a back.

"Urm, yeah of course…" Rita started.

"Thank you Rita" Zoe replied as she looked up at the clock. It was eleven o'clock, nearly Christmas day. Zoe sighed. Christmas Eve was just hours away and Connie and Grace were sat in an office crying and wondering if their beloved was going to pull through.

"I've just had an idea actually. Rita do you want to take Connie and Grace to the on call room, let them get some sleep. I need to find Dylan" Zoe smiled a small smile. Rita knew that look. Zoe was upto something.


End file.
